NGC6537
Sanduleak 2-294
PK10+0.1

Planetary Nebula

Sagittarius

RA: 18 05 13.1
Dec: -19 50 35

Mag: 13

Size: 10.0”

CS mag: 18.8

As I began writing a list of targets for my 25” at next week’s Nebraska Star Party, I came across this object – NGC 6537 The Red Spider Nebula. Not only was I surprised that I had never observed this object, but I have no recollection of ever having heard of it!

Discovered July 15th, 1882 by Harvard University astronomer Edward Charles Pickering, NGC 6537 is a small, irregular dual-lobed planetary in northwestern Sagittarius. In images, these lobes appear rather rippled or striated as opposed to smooth – something attributable to the nebula’s 300km/s winds!

Having no observing logs of this object, I reverted to trying to find online reports by other observers. Best I can tell, this object, although appearing stellar, can be seen in scopes as small as 11”. In larger scopes, the lobes tend to present themselves giving the planetary an overall elongated appearance. Some reports even claim having seen an overall “s” shape. I found no reports of observers claiming any red as seen in photographs but larger scopes do tend to reveal an overall blueish tint.

As I mentioned above. I’ve never seen this object and I hope that next week at NSP will be my first time. I hope anyone with experience with the Red Spider can chime in giving us with no experience a little insight.

And I’ll be sure to let you know once I…

…give it a go!



NGC6537.jpg

eso1338a.jpg