California Nebula

A diffuse nebula in the constellation Perseus. It is located around the star Zeta in Perseus and is difficult to see with the naked eye, but can be seen well in long-exposure photography. It is called the California Nebula because its shape resembles the state of California in the United States. It is a very large diffuse nebula with a viewing angle of 140 minutes. Its catalog number is NGC1499. It is about 2,300 light years away. Its visual magnitude is 6 and its apparent diameter is about 140 minutes. It can be seen in the eastern sky around 7pm in early January and directly above at around 9pm.

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Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ペルセウス座にある散光星雲。ペルセウス座のζ(ゼータ)星あたりにあり、肉眼では見にくいが長時間露光の写真撮影ではよく写る。その形がアメリカのカリフォルニア州に似ているのでカリフォルニア星雲とよばれる。視野角が140分にも及ぶ非常に大きな散光星雲である。カタログ番号はNGC1499。距離は約2300光年。実視等級は6等、視直径は140分程度。1月初旬の午後7時ごろに東の空に、午後9時ごろに真上の空に見える。

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