| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| Planetary nebula | |
NGC 6309 as seen through the Hubble Space Telescope
| |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 17h14m 04.3s[1] |
| Declination | −12° 54′ 38″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.5[2] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 0.32′[2] |
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Designations | PK 9+14.1, HD 155752, Box Nebula[3] |
| See also: Lists of nebulae | |
NGC 6309, also known as the Box Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered by the German astronomer Wilhelm Tempel in 1876.[4] It has a luminosity of about 1800 times that of the Sun.[1][2][5] The distance to this nebula is not well known, but it is assumed to be about 6,500 light-years or 2,000 parsecs.[6]
NGC 6309 is a quadrupolar nebula, with two pairs of lobes. Surrounding the pair is a spherical shell. The spherical shell formed before the four lobes.[6] The square-like shape of the nebula gives it the nickname "Box Nebula".
The central star of the planetary nebula is an O-type star with a spectral type of O(He).[7]
Media related to NGC 6309 at Wikimedia Commons
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