IC 4628 Prawn Nebula

Astrophotography
Written By Daniel Hall

The Prawn Nebula (also known as IC 4628 and Gum 56) is a vast emission nebula located in the constellation Scorpius. It sits approximately 6,000 light-years from Earth in the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, spanning about 250 light-years in diameter.

Key characteristics include:

  • Appearance: It has an apparent magnitude of 7.31 and an angular size of roughly 1.5 degrees (about three times the width of the full Moon).

  • Composition: As an H II region, it glows predominantly red due to ionized hydrogen, illuminated by young, massive O-type stars and the cluster Trumpler 24.

  • Location: It is situated south of the bright star Antares and forms part of the "False Comet" structure.

  • Visibility: Due to its southern declination (approximately -40°), it is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere.

Daniel Hall
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