RCW 54 is a reflection nebula in Carina
RCW 54 (NGC 3503, Ced 109b, ESO 128-28) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Carina . spans 3.5°. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in April.
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 54 from θ Car
θ Car
RCW 54
CARINA
RCW 54 lies 5.0° northeast of θ Car , the magnitude 2.7 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
RCW 54 is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -72° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -87° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -78° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -64° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -67° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -79° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -73° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -59° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -70° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 12° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 59° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 70° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 66° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 19° 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 30°N, and never sets south of 30°S.
The distance to RCW 54 is not well measured
Objects within 6° of RCW 54
C91 Wishing Well Cluster, open cluster, 1.2° C92 Carina Nebula, diffuse nebula, 2.0° RCW 52, emission nebula (H II region), 2.3° RCW 56, emission nebula (H II region), 2.7° RCW 55, emission nebula (H II region), 3.2° RCW 60, emission nebula (H II region), 4.3° C97 Pearl Cluster, open cluster, 4.6° C102 Southern Pleiades, open cluster, 5.0°
RCW 54 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 3503, Ced 109b, ESO 128-28, vdBH 46 Type reflection nebula Constellation Carina Right ascension (J2000) 11h 01.3m Declination (J2000) -59° 51′ Apparent size 3.5° Best month April Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 54
