Go / no go for deep skyGo / no go for deep sky imaging
Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543)
planetary nebula in Draco
The Cat's Eye Nebula in Draco is a small, bright planetary nebula with an intricate structure of nested shells and jets, plus a much fainter halo around it. It lies near the north pole of the ecliptic and is circumpolar from most of the northern United States.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- NGC 6543
- Type
- planetary nebula
- Constellation
- Draco
- Size
- 0.3′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.1
- Distance
- about 3,300 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Jun
- Typical prime months
- Apr to Sep
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Filter
- OIII or dual-band / UHC filter
Pick a saved location or share your device location. Your coordinates are used only to calculate tonight and are not stored. To save locations, use the planner.
How to image Cat's Eye Nebula
- It is tiny (the bright part is about 20 arcseconds), so use 2,000 mm or more, with good seeing.
- OIII or dual-band shows the shells. Avoid overexposing the core.
- It can be imaged on any clear night of the year from northern latitudes.
Framing: what focal length?
NGC 6543 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 0% |
| 2,000 mm | about 1% |
| 3,000 mm | about 1% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point NGC 6543 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 78° | High in the sky |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 68° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 58° | Workable |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 48° | Workable |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | below horizon | Never rises |
Also worth imaging
Want a GO / NO-GO verdict for tonight, with clouds, moon, seeing and a full dark-window timeline?
Open the planner