Reflection nebula · Eridanus
NGC 1909 the Witch Head Nebula
Also known as: IC 2118, LBN 959
3.0° across
About
NGC 1909, the Witch Head Nebula, is a reflection nebula in Eridanus, about 3.0° across.
How to find it
- NGC 1909 is in the constellation Eridanus.
- Best evenings: around late January 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 73° 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
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)Hard to say: no reliable brightness is known.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Brightness unknown, so probably a challenge.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 1909, IC 2118, LBN 959 |
|---|---|
| Type | Reflection nebula |
| Apparent size | 3.0° × 60′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 04m 55.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −07° 15′ 56″ |
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 →