Little Ghost Nebula

Little Ghost nebula
Observation data (Epoch J2000)
Right ascension	17h 29m 20.443s[1]
Declination	-23° 45′ 34.22″[1]
Distance	2.0 ± 5.0 kly
Apparent magnitude (V)	12.9[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)	38 ′
Constellation	Ophiuchus
Physical characteristics
Other designations	NGC 6369,[1] PK 002+05 1[1]
See also: Planetary nebula, Lists of nebulae

Little Ghost Nebula is a planetary nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation. It was discovered by William Herschel.^[2]

Round and planet-shaped, the nebula is also relatively faint. Planetary nebulae are not related to planets at all, but instead are created at the end of a sun-like star's life as its outer layers expand into space while the star's core shrinks to become a white dwarf. The transformed white dwarf star, seen near the center, radiates strongly at ultraviolet wavelengths and powers the expanding nebula's glow. The nebula's main ring structure is about a light-year across and the glow from ionized oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are colored blue, green, and red respectively.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 6369. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad. Retrieved 2007-04-17. 
2. ^ Nemiroff, Robert; Jerry Bonnell. "NGC 6369: The Little Ghost Nebula". Astronomy Picture of the Day. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap021108.html. Retrieved 2010-07-02. 

• NGC 6369

Coordinates: 17^h 29^m 20.44^s, −23° 45′ 34.22″