RCW 159 is an emission nebula (H II region) in Sagittarius
RCW 159 is an emission nebula (H II region) in the constellation Sagittarius . spans 15′. 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 159 from Kaus Borealis
Kaus Borealis
RCW 159
SAGITTARIUS
RCW 159 lies 8.9° north of Kaus Borealis , the magnitude 2.8 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
RCW 159 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: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -48° 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: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -35° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -76° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -85° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -36° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -82° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 73° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 62° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 83° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 86° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 59° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -23° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 76° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -12° 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 73°N, and never sets south of 73°S.
The distance to RCW 159 is not well measured
Objects within 6° of RCW 159
M17 Omega Nebula, diffuse nebula, 1.1° M18, open cluster, 1.3° RCW 163, emission nebula (H II region), 1.7° RCW 161, emission nebula (H II region), 1.7° RCW 164, emission nebula (H II region), 1.8° RCW 157, emission nebula (H II region), 1.9° NGC 6645, open cluster, 1.9° RCW 156, emission nebula (H II region), 1.9°
RCW 159 catalog data
Field Value
Type emission nebula (H II region) Constellation Sagittarius Right ascension (J2000) 18h 24.9m Declination (J2000) -16° 34′ Apparent size 15′ Best month August Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 159
