The sky around RCW 63, 13° across, north up low-power eyepiece, 1° 10×50 binoculars, 5° NE 1°
The sky around RCW 63 at true scale, north up and east left, with stars to magnitude 8. The circles show the field of a low-power eyepiece and of 10×50 binoculars.

RCW 63

Emission nebula (H II region) in Centaurus

Emission nebula (H II region) in Centaurus.

CENTAURUS

The box shows where RCW 63 sits in Centaurus.

Constellation
CentaurusCen
Magnitude
-visual
Size
4.2°apparent
Distance
-light-years
Best month
Mayat 9 pm
Best with
Telescope

RCW 63 is an emission nebula (H II region) in Centaurus

RCW 63 is an emission nebula (H II region) in the constellation Centaurus. spans 4.2°. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.

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.

RCW 63 is RCW 63 in the RCW catalog of southern H-alpha regions

A. W. Rodgers, C. T. Campbell and J. B. Whiteoak listed it in their catalog of H-alpha emission regions in the southern Milky Way (1960), from photographs taken at Mount Stromlo Observatory.

Finding RCW 63 from Gacrux

Gacrux RCW 63 CENTAURUS

RCW 63 lies 3.7° northwest of Gacrux, the magnitude 1.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.

RCW 63 is highest in the evening in May

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 60°N JAN at 60°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -48° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -62° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -77° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -84° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -70° high at 9 pm 50°N JAN at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -75° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -83° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -67° high at 9 pm 40°N JAN at 40°N: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -74° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm 30°N JAN at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -54° high at 9 pm 20°N JAN at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -45° high at 9 pm 10°N JAN at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -36° high at 9 pm 0° JAN at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm 10°S JAN at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm 20°S JAN at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm 30°S JAN at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 64° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 1° high at 9 pm 40°S JAN at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 68° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 74° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 62° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 10° 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 35°N, and never sets south of 35°S.

The distance to RCW 63 is not well measured

Objects within 6° of RCW 63

RCW 63 catalog data

FieldValue
Typeemission nebula (H II region)
ConstellationCentaurus
Right ascension (J2000)12h 08.0m
Declination (J2000)-55° 18′
Apparent size4.2°
Best monthMay
Best withTelescope
RCW numberRCW 63