RCW 86 is a supernova remnant in Centaurus, 8,200 light-years away
RCW 86 (SNR G315.4-2.3) is a supernova remnant in the constellation Centaurus , 8,200 light-years away. spans 3′ of sky, about 7.2 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in June.
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 86 from Rigil Kentaurus
Rigil Kentaurus
RCW 86
CENTAURUS
RCW 86 lies 1.8° south of Rigil Kentaurus , the magnitude -0.0 star. That is within one binocular field.
RCW 86 is highest in the evening in June
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -76° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -62° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -75° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -87° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -70° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -69° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -77° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -67° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 67° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 62° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 13° 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 27°N, and never sets south of 27°S.
RCW 86 is 8,200 light-years away
The light seen from RCW 86 tonight left it about 8,200 years ago. It ranks 36 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Sollerman et al. 2003 / Helder et al. 2013 (2.5 kpc).
Objects within 6° of RCW 86
RCW 84, emission nebula (H II region), 2.6° RCW 85, emission nebula (H II region), 2.6° RCW 83, emission nebula (H II region), 3.7° RCW 82, emission nebula (H II region), 5.0° RCW 89, supernova remnant, 5.4° RCW 81, emission nebula (H II region), 5.4° RCW 88, emission nebula (H II region), 5.9° RCW 87, emission nebula (H II region), 6.0°
RCW 86 catalog data
Field Value
Designations SNR G315.4-2.3 Type supernova remnant Constellation Centaurus Right ascension (J2000) 14h 40.5m Declination (J2000) -62° 39′ Apparent size 3′ True size 7.2 light-years Distance 8,200 light-years (Sollerman et al. 2003 / Helder et al. 2013 (2.5 kpc)) Best month June Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 86
