Planetary Nebula Kohoutek 3-46

Kohoutek 3-46
Kohoutek 3-46: Planetary nebula in Cygnus; 500 mm Cassegrain 5800 mm f/11.4; SBIG STL11K; 90+3*15 min LRGB; Bernese Highlands; © 2005 Radek Chromik [32]

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]

Kohoutek 3-46
Kohoutek 3-46: Kinematic model [338]

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]

«Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae» Acker et al., 1992 [141]
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 April to November, when it is highest at night.

Finder Chart Planetary Nebula Kohoutek 3-46
Planetary Nebula Kohoutek 3-46 in constellation Cygnus. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. [149, 160]

More Objects Nearby (±15°)

References