Shapley 1 (PN)
Planetary Nebula in Norma
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15h 51m 42.9s | -51° 31′ 28.3″ | 1.0′ | -- | -- | -- | PN | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 10′ × 10′
Background
Shapley 1 (also known as the Fine Ring Nebula, PK 329+02.1) is one of three planetaries discovered by the American astronomer Harlow Shapley. At about 13th magnitude it requires medium to large apertures, but its nearly perfect ring shape (just over 1' diameter) is a striking sight. The almost-circular ring is a textbook example of the bipolar geometry of an evolved planetary viewed nearly pole-on. Lies about 4^\circ southwest of NGC 6087 toward the Lupus border.
My Observing Notes
(Not yet observed — on the Norma list from the May 2026 Universe Sky Tonight column.)
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)