NGC 6629
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| Planetary nebula | |
The NGC 6629 planetary nebula, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 18h 25m 43s |
| Declination | −23° 12′ 10″ |
| Distance | 6,523.13 ly (2000 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.3 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 16.6″ × 15.5″ |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Designations | PN G009.4-05.0: NGC 6629, PK 9-05.1, ARO 30, ESO 522-26, He 2- 399, Sa 2-335 |
NGC 6629 is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Sagittarius, located above the "Teapot". It is located approximately 2.0 kpc (~6,523 light years) from the Sun. The object formed when a star ejected its outer layers during the late stages of its evolution. The remnant core of the star, a white dwarf, is emitting vast amounts of ultraviolet radiation that ionizes, or excites, the gas surrounding it, making the nebula visible to the human eye through a telescope. Over the course of around 10,000 years the white dwarf will cool down dramatically, diminishing the light of the nebula and making it only visible in a long-exposure photograph. NGC 6629 was discovered by William Herschel in 1868.
On June 26, 2029, the planetary nebula will be occulted by the Moon during a total lunar eclipse, over the eastern Pacific and South America.