IC 2003 is a planetary nebula in Perseus, 17,900 light-years away
IC 2003 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus , 17,900 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.4 and spans 8″ of sky, about 0.7 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
Planetary nebula: a shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star and lit by the hot core left behind, which becomes a white dwarf. The name comes from their small, round, planet-like look in early telescopes.
Finding IC 2003 from ζ Per
ζ Per
IC 2003
PERSEUS
IC 2003 lies 2.0° north of ζ Per , the magnitude 2.8 star. That is within one binocular field.
IC 2003 is highest in the evening in January
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 49° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 61° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 72° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 68° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 80° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 57° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 73° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 80° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 72° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 73° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 67° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 64° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 46° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 39° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 51° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -65° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -47° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -67° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -74° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -47° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -72° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -82° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -72° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -81° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 56°S, and never sets north of 56°N.
IC 2003 is 17,900 light-years away
The light seen from IC 2003 tonight left it about 17,900 years ago. Distance source: Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (5489 pc).
Objects within 6° of IC 2003
8 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 2003 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Perseus Designations IC 2003, 2MASX J03562202+3352292, IRAS 03531+3343, PK 161-14 1, PN G161.2-14.8 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 03h 56.4m Declination (J2000) +33° 52′ Magnitude 11.4 (B 12.0) Apparent size 8″ True size 0.7 light-years Distance 17,900 light-years (Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (5489 pc)) Radial velocity -16 km/s Best with Telescope Best month January Catalog page IC 2001 to 2500
