Some call this the Little Gem nebula. It is one of the many celestial treasures you will find within the confines of the Archer, Sagittarius. The sketch at left renders a 129X view in the 10-inch, f/4.5 Starfinder. NGC 6818 is centered. This 9.9(P) magnitude planetary nebula appears as a misty patch roughly 45" in diameter. The nearly 17th magnitude central star is, of course, not visible in my modest scope. A 13th magnitude star smolders just to the west of the nebula. Of the five remaining field stars, the brightest is 9.5 magnitude HD 186368, positioned about 8' away near the eastern field boundary. Before departing this region of the summer sky, see if you can find Barnard's Galaxy, just 42' to the south. |