IC 351 is a planetary nebula in Perseus, 18,300 light-years away
IC 351 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus , 18,300 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.9 and spans 7″ of sky, about 0.6 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 351 from ζ Per
ζ Per
IC 351
PERSEUS
IC 351 lies 3.4° northwest of ζ Per , the magnitude 2.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 351 is highest in the evening in January
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 64° 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: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 51° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 62° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 72° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 55° 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: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 70° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 79° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 52° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 75° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 78° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 8° 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: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 74° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 71° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 46° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 68° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 62° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -3° 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: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 51° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -39° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -68° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -72° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 24° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -74° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -79° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -8° 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: 14° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -51° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -75° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -80° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 13° 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 55°S, and never sets north of 55°N.
IC 351 is 18,300 light-years away
The light seen from IC 351 tonight left it about 18,300 years ago. Distance source: Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (5620 pc).
Objects within 6° of IC 351
9 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 2003, planetary nebula, 2.2° IC 348, cluster with nebula, 3.0° NGC 1499 California Nebula, nebula, 3.4° NGC 1342, open cluster, 4.0° NGC 1333, cluster with nebula, 5.4°
IC 351 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Perseus Designations IC 351, 2MASX J03473301+3502487, IRAS 03443+3453, PK 159-15 1, PN G159.0-15.1, TYC 2364-855-1 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 03h 47.6m Declination (J2000) +35° 03′ Magnitude 11.9 (B 12.0) Apparent size 7″ True size 0.6 light-years Distance 18,300 light-years (Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (5620 pc)) Radial velocity -10 km/s Best with Telescope Best month January Catalog page IC 1 to 500
