Reflection nebula · Scorpius
IC 4592 Blue Horsehead Nebula
Also known as: LBN 1113
mag 3.960′ across
About
IC 4592, the Blue Horsehead Nebula, is a reflection nebula of magnitude 3.9 in Scorpius, about 60′ across.
How to find it
- IC 4592 is in the constellation Scorpius.
- Best evenings: around early July it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 61° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesA small misty patch from a dark site.
- Binoculars (10×50)A faint haze around its stars, from a dark site.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A faint glow around its stars. The blue colour shows only in photos.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | IC 4592, LBN 1113 |
|---|---|
| Type | Reflection nebula |
| Magnitude | 3.9The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 60′ × 40′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 11m 58.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −19° 27′ 17″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →