Planetary Nebula Kohoutek 3-46
History
The planetary nebula Kohoutek 3-46 (K 3-46, PK 69+3.1) was discovered in 1964 by the Czechoslovak astronomer Luboš Kohoutek, who also discovered minor planets and comets, including comet Kohoutek, which was visible to the naked eye in 1973. In 1967, together with Luboš Perek, he published a catalog of galactic planetary nebulae.
The designation (PK 69+3.1) goes back to this catalog and is made up of galactic coordinates: 69° galactic longitude, +3° galactic latitude and .1 for the first PN in that defined 1x1° field. [141]
Physical Properties
The PN has a well-defined hourglass shape with a prominent equatorial ring and marked waist. The expansion rate is very slow. In the equatorial plane it is less than 3 km/s and in the polar direction about 18 km/s. The age is estimated to be around 20'000 years and the distance to be 2.2 kpc (around 7200 light years). [338]
| Designations | PN G069.2+03.8: K 3-46, PK 69+03.1, ARO 334 |
| Right Ascension (J2000.0) | 19h 50m 00s |
| Declination (J2000.0) | +33° 45' 55" |
| Dimensions | 23." (optical) |
| Discoverer | KOHOUTEK 1964 |
Finder Chart
The planetary nebula Kohoutek 3-46 (PK 69+3.1) is located in the constellation Cygnus. The best time to observe is January to December, when it is highest at night.
