NGC 6563 is a planetary nebula in Sagittarius, 3,260 light-years away
NGC 6563 (ESO 394-033, PN G358.5-07.3) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Sagittarius , 3,260 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.0 and spans 47″ 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 August.
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 NGC 6563 from Kaus Australis
Kaus Australis
NGC 6563
SAGITTARIUS
NGC 6563 lies 2.6° west of Kaus Australis , the magnitude 1.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6563 is highest in the evening in August
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -63° 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: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -70° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -82° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -70° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -83° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -75° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 75° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 68° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 84° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 82° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -1° 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 56°N, and never sets south of 56°S.
NGC 6563 is 3,260 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6563 tonight left it about 3,260 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1001 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6563
23 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6569, globular cluster, 2.1° NGC 6558, globular cluster, 2.1° M7 Ptolemy Cluster, open cluster, 3.9° NGC 6528, globular cluster, 4.1° NGC 6522, globular cluster, 4.2° NGC 6624, globular cluster, 4.3° M69 Messier 69, globular cluster, 4.3° NGC 6453, globular cluster, 4.4°
NGC 6563 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Sagittarius Designations NGC 6563, ESO 394-033, PN G358.5-07.3 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 18h 12.0m Declination (J2000) -33° 52′ Magnitude 11.0 (B 13.0) Apparent size 47″ True size 0.7 light-years Distance 3,260 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1001 pc)) Radial velocity -31 km/s Central star HD 166449 Best with Telescope Best month August Catalog page NGC 6501 to 7000
