Cosmic Scale
Saturn Nebula
Planetary nebula · About 3,900 light-years
How big is Saturn Nebula?
Saturn Nebula is about 0.46 light-years across.
See Saturn Nebula in 3D, at true scale
The Saturn Nebula is the glowing shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star. Two thin jets end in red knots on either side, which made early astronomers think of Saturn and its rings. The star's hot core lights the gas from inside.
At a glance
| Diameter | 0.46 light-years |
|---|---|
| Diameter compared with Earth | 3.4 × 10⁸ × Earth |
| Distance | About 3,900 light-years |
| Size | About 0.5 light-years across |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Also known as | NGC 7009 |
Good to know
- Lord Rosse named it in the 1840s because its two "handles" looked like Saturn's rings.
- The red knots at its tips are blobs of gas flung out faster than the rest of the cloud.
- In 2017 a map made with ESO's Very Large Telescope found a ring of dust hidden inside the glowing shell.
- Next smaller: IC 418 · 0.26 light-years
- Next larger: Little Ghost Nebula · 0.50 light-years