NGC 40
Appearance
Nebula | |
---|---|
Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
Right ascension | 00h 13m 01.015s[1] |
Declination | +72° 31′ 19.085″[1] |
Distance | ~3,500 ly (~1.0 kpc)[2] ly |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.4,[1] 12.3[2] |
Apparent dimensions (V) | 38 x 35 arcseconds[2] |
Constellation | Cepheus |
Designations | Bow-Tie Nebula, Caldwell 2 |
NGC 40 (also known as the Bow-Tie Nebula ) is a planetary nebula discovered by W.F.Herschel Nov 25 1788, and is composed of hot gas around a dying star. The star has ejected its outer layer which has left behind a smaller, hot star with a temperature on the surface of about 50,000[3] degrees (Celsius). Radiation from the star causes the shed outer layer to heat to about 10,000[3] degrees (Celsius) and is about one[3] light-year across. About 30,000[3] years from now, scientists theorize that NGC 40 will fade away, leaving only a white dwarf star approximately the size of Earth.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 40. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
- ^ a b c O'Meara, Stephen James (2002). Deep Sky Companions: The Caldwell Objects. Sky Publishing Corporation. pp. 22–23. ISBN 0-933346-97-2.
- ^ a b c d e "Chandra X-Ray Observatory". Retrieved 2007-06-05.