Deep Sky Object of the Month

The planetary nebula NGC 6781 in Aquila is a visual treat for observers with eight-inch and larger scopes. POSS/DSS photo.

If views of other summer planetaries such as M57 and M27 have whet your appetite for more, take a look at this month's featured deep-sky object, NGC 6781. Located in Aquila, this object is somewhat reminiscent of the Helix Nebula, though much smaller and fainter. It appears as a bright, round disk just under two arc-minutes across with diffuse edges and a slightly darker center. The north edge of the disk is fainter and more diffuse. If you have a nebula filter, try it on this object. I found that both the UHC and OIII filters give a moderate increase in contrast, with the OIII having the slight edge.

How to get there:

NGC 6781 is about four degrees west of Mu Aquilae, or just over eight degrees west of Altair.

Finder chart for NGC 6781