description NGC 2818 Overview
NGC 2818 is a planetary nebula located in the southern constellation Pyxis. It has been noted as one of the relatively few planetary nebulae observed in proximity to an open cluster, NGC 2818A, though the physical association between the two has been a subject of ongoing study among astronomers. The nebula's structure consists of ionized gas expelled from an aging central star, visible as a glowing shell. It is a distant and faint object requiring moderate amateur equipment to observe.
help NGC 2818 FAQ
What type of object is NGC 2818?
NGC 2818 is a planetary nebula in the southern constellation Pyxis. It is the expanding shell of gas expelled by a dying sun-like star, not a planet or a galaxy.
Why is NGC 2818 unusual?
It appears in the direction of the open star cluster NGC 2818A, making it one of the relatively rare planetary nebulae observed near an open cluster. Astronomers have studied whether the nebula and cluster are physically associated.
How far away is NGC 2818?
It is commonly described as being about 10,000 light-years away. That distance places it within the Milky Way and helps explain why the nebula appears as a compact object in telescope images.
What creates the colorful shell around NGC 2818?
The shell forms when a sun-like star sheds its outer layers near the end of its life. Ultraviolet radiation from the remaining hot stellar core makes the expelled gas glow.
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