Planetary Nebula Abell 68
History
This planetary nebula was discovered in 1955 by the American astronomer George Ogden Abell on the photo plates of the «Palomar Observatory Sky Survey» (POSS). In 1955 he published a first list of 13 globular clusters and the positions of 73 planetary nebulae. The PN first had the number 55. In 1966 Abell published a complete list including the size and description of the 86 planetary nebulae discovered on the POSS photo plates. This planetary nebula was then number 68 on his list. The designation PK 60-04.1 comes from the two Czechoslovak astronomers Luboš Perek and Luboš Kohoutek, who in 1967 compiled a catalog of all the planetary nebulae of the Milky Way known at that time. [331, 332]
Physical Properties
| Designations | PN G060.0-04.3: A 68, PK 60-04.1, A55 55, ARO 166, VV' 522 |
| Right Ascension (J2000.0) | 20h 00m 11s |
| Declination (J2000.0) | +21° 42' 58" |
| Dimensions | 38." (optical) |
| C-Star Designations | AG82 394 |
| C-Star Magnitude | U: 13.42, B: 13.52, V: 13.26 |
| Discoverer | ABELL 1955 |
Finder Chart
This planetary nebula can be found in the constellation Vulpecula and is highest in the sky from the months January to December. On 21 July it is in opposition to the Sun and crosses the meridian at local midnight.
