NGC 6302 (PN)
Planetary Nebula in Scorpius
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17h 13m 45.4s | -37° 06′ 13.6″ | 1.5′ | 9.6 | 9.4 | 3, 2, 3 | PN | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 10′ × 10′
Background
NGC 6302 is the Bug Nebula (also called Butterfly Nebula) — a strikingly bipolar planetary nebula 3,400 light-years away in Scorpius. Its hot central star ( 250,000 K, one of the hottest known) shapes the distinctive “hourglass” bipolar lobes, separated by a thick equatorial dust torus.
My Observing Notes
44-cm (Club 17.5-inch f/5): Bright at mag 9.6 — the elongated “hourglass” shape jumps out immediately. The 9 mm Nagler makes the bipolar structure with central dust lane even more apparent. OIII filter helps, but unfiltered is already excellent at this aperture. Reminded me of NGC 5189 from the previous month. Find via the line between λ and υ Sco, halfway along (roughly in line with μ Sco).(Saturday, September 2025)
References
Charts
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)