Cat's Eye Nebula Age. I had planned my star hop using my binoculars a couple of weeks ago and there was a fairly obvious point of light in just about the right place. A planetary nebula, discovered by william hershel in 1786, formed by a dying star originally about five times the mass of the sun.
Facts about the cat's eye nebula #4: The cat's eye nebula the cat's eye is one of the first planetary nebulae discovery and features 11 rings, or shells, of gas surrounding the parent star. The other nebulosity, much fainter was apparently ejected from the star previously every 1,500 years or so.
After what seems like an age i set up the telescope to have a look at the cat's eye nebula, ngc 6543 (c6).
The cat's eye nebula (ngc 6543) is one of the best known planetary nebulae in the sky. The cat's eye nebula (ngc 6543) is one of the best known planetary nebulae in the sky. 17 h 58 m 33.423 s, +66° 37′ 59.52″. 17h 58m 33.423s (right ascension), +66°37’59.52” (declination) distance: