Ant Nebula is a planetary nebula in Norma, 4,570 light-years away
Ant Nebula (Mz 3, PN G331.7-01.0, RCW 101) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Norma , 4,570 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.0 and spans 5″ × 12″ of sky, about 0.1 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
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 Ant Nebula from ζ Ara
ζ Ara
Ant Nebula
NORMA
Ant Nebula lies 7.3° northwest of ζ Ara , the magnitude 3.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Ant Nebula is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -81° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -69° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -59° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -74° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -86° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -68° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -74° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -77° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -69° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -68° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -16° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 68° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -5° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 78° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 64° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 5° 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 southern hemisphere and north to about 38°N, and never sets south of 38°S.
Ant Nebula is 4,570 light-years away
The light seen from Ant Nebula tonight left it about 4,570 years ago. It ranks 66 of 124 by distance among the nebulae on Go Astronomy. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1400 pc).
Objects within 6° of Ant Nebula
Ant Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations Mz 3, PN G331.7-01.0, RCW 101 Type planetary nebula Constellation Norma Right ascension (J2000) 16h 17.2m Declination (J2000) -51° 59′ Magnitude 13.0 Apparent size 5″ × 12″ True size 0.1 light-years Distance 4,570 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1400 pc)) Best month July Best with Telescope
