Best Faint
Updated DailyNo tags available
Rankings use category fit, feature coverage, pricing signals, public reception, and recency. Affiliate relationships do not affect scores.
Pickering's Triangle, designated as NGC 6979, is a portion of the Cygnus Loop, a large supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus. The filamentary structure was discovered photographically in 1904 by astronomer Williamina Fleming at the Harvard College Observatory under the direction of Edward Ch...
The Ghost of Saturn Nebula, designated NGC 7009, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation of Aquarius. English astronomer William Herschel discovered it in 1782, observing its distinct, roughly Saturn-like shape. The nebula is noted for its ansae, which are extensions of nebulosity flankin...
The Squid Nebula, formally designated OU4, is a faint emission nebula located within the Cepheus OB Association. It’s recognized by its distinctive bipolar outflow structure, resembling a squid's tentacle. This outflow, rich in oxygen emissions, extends over one degree and is associated with several...
Abell 33, sometimes called the Diamond Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Hydra. The nebula appears almost perfectly spherical and is illuminated by a central white dwarf, the remnant of the original star. The "diamond ring" effect arises from the chance alignment of a f...
The Flying Bat Nebula, also known as SH2-129, is a diffuse emission nebula located in the Cepheus constellation. It’s recognized for its faint glow and association with the nearby Sharpless Object Ou4, commonly called the Squid Nebula. This region represents an active star formation zone rich in ion...
The Shark Nebula, designated LDN 1235, is a dark molecular cloud located in the constellation Cepheus. It appears as a silhouette against the background star field, with a shape that resembles a shark, hence its common name. The nebula is included in the Lynds Catalogue of Dark Nebulae, a compilatio...
The Soap Bubble Nebula is a delicate planetary nebula located within the constellation Cygnus. Formed from the expelled gases of a dying star, it’s notable for its unusual bubble-like shape resembling a soap bubble. Amateur astronomers like Dave Jurasevich discovered this faint object in 2007. It's...
The Medusa Nebula (Abell 21) is a large planetary nebula located in the constellation Gemini, approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth. It was discovered by George O. Abell in 1955 and named for its filaments that resemble the snakes in Medusa's hair from Greek mythology. As an older planetary neb...
Simeis 147, also known as the Spaghetti Nebula or Sharpless 240, is a large, faint supernova remnant located in the constellations of Taurus and Auriga. It has an estimated age of approximately 40,000 years and a projected diameter of around 150 light-years, making it among the largest known superno...
Sh2-91 is a very faint emission nebula located in the northern constellation of Cygnus. It is classified as part of the Sharpless catalog and is specifically identified as the long southern filament of the supernova remnant designated G65.2+5.7. Because of its extremely low surface brightness, it is...
Jones-Emberson 1, commonly known as the Headphone Nebula, is a large and exceptionally faint planetary nebula located in the northern constellation of Lynx. It was discovered in 1939 by Rebecca Jones and Richard Emberson on photographic plates taken at the Harvard Observatory. Spanning about five ar...
The Spaghetti Nebula, cataloged as Simeis 147 or Sharpless 2-240, is a large and extremely faint supernova remnant located on the border between the constellations Taurus and Auriga. It was discovered in 1952 at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and spans roughly 3 degrees, or about 6 light-year...
The Witch Head Nebula, cataloged as IC 2118, is a faint reflection nebula located in the constellation Eridanus, roughly 900 light-years from Earth. It is composed of interstellar dust grains that reflect the light of nearby sources, most notably the blue supergiant star Rigel in the neighboring con...
Abell 21, commonly called the Medusa Nebula, is a large, faint planetary nebula in the constellation Gemini. It consists of ionized gas expelled by a dying low-mass star, whose hot remnant illuminates the nebula as a central white dwarf. Its curved filaments suggested the snakes of the mythological...
The Prawn Nebula, cataloged as IC 4628, is a large emission nebula and H II region located in the constellation Scorpius. Spanning roughly 250 light-years and situated about 6,000 light-years away from Earth, it is an area of active star formation. The nebula is almost entirely invisible to the unai...
Abell 36 is a faint planetary nebula located in the constellation Virgo, cataloged by astronomer George O. Abell in 1955. It is distinguished by its barrel-shaped structure, which represents the expelled outer layers of a dying star. Estimated to be approximately 10,000 years old, the nebula is ofte...
You're in. We'll email you when new Faint entries land.