Emission nebula · Dorado
NGC 2080 Ghost Head Nebula
mag 10.41.7′ across
About
NGC 2080, the Ghost Head Nebula, is an emission nebula of magnitude 10.4 in Dorado, about 1.7′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 2080 is in the constellation Dorado.
- 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 10° 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)Too faint for most binoculars.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A faint glow — a UHC or OIII filter and a dark sky make the difference.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 2080 |
|---|---|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Magnitude | 10.4The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 1.7′ × 1.5′position angle 130°; the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 39m 45.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −69° 38′ 39″ |
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 →