RCW 143 is an emission nebula (H II region) in Sagittarius
RCW 143 is an emission nebula (H II region) in the constellation Sagittarius . spans 7′. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in August.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding RCW 143 from θ Oph
θ Oph
RCW 143
SAGITTARIUS
RCW 143 lies 5.3° east of θ Oph , the magnitude 3.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
RCW 143 is highest in the evening in August
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -62° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -69° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -74° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -77° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -74° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -76° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -68° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -48° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 62° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 67° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 71° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 47° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 46° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 72° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 73° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 78° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 3° 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: 68° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 72° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -11° 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 65°N, and never sets south of 65°S.
The distance to RCW 143 is not well measured
Objects within 6° of RCW 143
NGC 6401, globular cluster, 1.9° RCW 145, emission nebula (H II region), 3.7° NGC 6369 Little Ghost Nebula, planetary nebula, 3.9° RCW 138, emission nebula (H II region), 3.9° M8 Lagoon Nebula, nebula w/cluster, 4.1° M20 Trifid Nebula, nebula w/cluster, 4.4° NGC 6440, globular cluster, 4.6° M21, open cluster, 4.9°
RCW 143 catalog data
Field Value
Type emission nebula (H II region) Constellation Sagittarius Right ascension (J2000) 17h 45.6m Declination (J2000) -24° 55′ Apparent size 7′ Best month August Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 143
