California Nebula

The California Nebula (NGC 1499) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. It is so named because it appears to resemble the outline of the US State of California on long exposure photographs. It is almost 2.5° long on the sky and, because of its very low surface brightness, it is extremely difficult to observe visually. It can be observed with a Hβ filter (isolates the Hβ line at 486 nm) in a rich-field telescope under dark skies.[1] It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth. Its fluorescence is due to excitation of the Hβ line in the nebula by the nearby prodigiously energetic O7 star, Xi Persei (also known as Menkib, seen at center below it in the inset at right).[2]

California Nebula
Emission nebula
The California Nebula, as taken with an amateur telescope
Observation data: J2000.0 epoch
Right ascension 04h 03m 18.00s
Declination+36° 25′ 18.0″
Distance1,000 ly
Apparent magnitude (V)6.0
Apparent dimensions (V)2.5° long
ConstellationPerseus
DesignationsNGC 1499, Sharpless 220

The California Nebula was discovered by E. E. Barnard in 1884.

By coincidence, the California Nebula transits in the zenith in central California as the latitude matches the declination of the object.

  • Image of the California Nebula with amateur telescope.
  • Infrared image of the nebula from WISE.
  • H-alpha image of the nebula with amateur telescope.
  • Picture of NGC 1499 captured in narrowband by amateur astronomer Luca Moretti
  • The California Nebula (NGC 1499), in LHaRGB with amateur telescope

References
  1. "The California Nebula". Observing at Skyhound. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. "Menkib (Xi Persei)". David Darling. Encyclopedia of Science.
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