April 2012 Deep Sky Challange - NGC 3242 - Ghost of Jupiter

Ghost of Jupiter

Planetary Nebula

aka NGC 3242, PN G261.0+32.0, PK 261+32.1, ARO 4, ESO 568-5

R.A.: 10h24m46.1s Dec.: -18°38'32" (2000) in Hydra

Galactic lon: +261°03', Galactic lat: +32°03'

Magnitude: 8.60

Size: 40"

 

Catalog Data:

Magnitude of central star:  13.3

Radial Velocity: 2 km/sec

Expansion Vel:  23.0 km/sec

Distance: 2800 ly

Mean Surface Br. 16.3 Mag/arcsec²

Click for sky chart

Comments:

Ring structure plus irregular disk with traces of ring structure.

Fainter spherical envelope.

 

Apparent Data for 2012 Mar 29  EST at Cleveland, Ohio:

Apparent RA: 10h25m23.6s, Apparent Dec: -18°42'35"

Ecliptical lon: +165°32', Ecliptical lat: -26°27'

Azimuth: +205°18', Apparent Altitude: +25°52'

Zenith Distance: +64°08'

Local Sidereal Time:  12h01m

Hour Angle:  01h36m

Airmass: 2.3

Mean extincted magnitude:  9.4

 

Chart Numbers:

Pocket Sky Atlas 37

Millennium Star Atlas Vol II Chart 851

Sky Atlas 2000 Chart 20

Uranometria 2000 Vol II Chart 325

Uranometria 2nd Ed. Chart 151

Herald-Bobroff Astroatlas B-10 C-67