NGC 246
NGC 246 (also known as the Skull Nebula or Caldwell 56) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cetus. It is the first known planetary nebula to have a hierarchical triple star system at its center. The nebula and the stars associated with it are listed in several catalogs, as summarized by the SIMBAD database. NGC 246 was discovered by William Herschel in 1785.
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| Planetary nebula | |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 00h 47m 03.338s |
| Declination | −11° 52′ 18.94″ |
| Distance | 1,600 ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 8 / 11.8 (central star) |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 3.8′ |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 2-3 ly |
| Designations | Skull Nebula, Pac-Man Nebula, Caldwell 56, HIP 3678, PMN J0047-1152, 2E 178, PN VV 4, IRAS 00445-1207, MCT 0044-1208 |
The nebula is roughly 1,600 light-years away. NGC 246's central star is the 12th magnitude white dwarf HIP 3678 A.
NGC 246 is not to be confused with the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2337), which is also referred to as the "Skull." Among some amateur astronomers, NGC 246 is known as the "Pac-Man Nebula" because of the arrangement of its central stars and the surrounding star field.
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