NGC 6781 (Aquila)
Fig. 1 - Shining under the harsh ultraviolet radiation from the progenitor star: The planetary nebula NGC 6781 in Aquila, photographed with an 8-inch f/5 Newtonian reflector on a ZWO AM5 mount.
| Object name: | Constellation: | Coordinates: | Apparent size: | Visual brightness: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 6781 | Aquila | 19h18m / +06°32' | 1.9' x 1.8' | 11.4 mag |
The planetary nebula NGC 6781 ("Snowglobe Nebula") in the constellation Aquila. Stars like our Sun lack the mass for a dramatic supernova ending, but they still go out with flair—shedding colorful gas shells called planetary nebulae before becoming dense, Earth-sized white dwarfs. NGC 6781 is a nice representative of these cosmic bubbles.
NGC 6781 is about 9,400 years old, lies at a distance of 1,500 light-years from the Sun, measures approximately two light-years across and was discovered in 1788 by the Anglo-German astronomer William Herschel (source: Wikipedia).
Exposure time: 4h 30min (90x3min) at gain 100 and -10°C, taken on June 21 / 22, 2025 and on June 28/29, 2025. Processing with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) and Photoshop. Darks, flats, and bias were used.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" Newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.
NGC 6781 was also captured with a 16-inch dobsonian on an equatorial platform, using a DSLR camera. The image can be seen here.
Fig. 2 - Search chart for NGC 6781. Copyright 2025 'The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project', www.siaris.net.