Reflection Nebula Kr 2-1

Object Description

Kr 2-1
Kr 2-1: Reflection nebula in Perseus. North is left.; 500 mm Cassegrain 3625 mm f/7.2; SBIG STL11K; 80-15-15-15 min LRGB; Bernese Highlands; © 2011 Radek Chromik

This nebula was discovered by A. Krasnogorskaya and published as Kr 2-1 in 1962. [423] Originally it was considered a planetary nebula, which is why it was recorded in 1967 by the two Czech astronomers Luboš Perek and Luboš Kohoutek under the designation PK 149-1.1. [146] In the following year the nebula was described by Kromov and Kohoutek as «a very washed out and irregular internal structure» and that there was «no certainty whether it was an emission nebula». [391] In 1977 it was recognized that the nebula does not fit the morphology of planetary nebulae as a possible reflection nebula. [393] This was also confirmed in 1982 in a study of CO molecular clouds, where strong CO emissions were also measured. [425]

A distance specification of this reflection nebula, which is listed under GN 03.47.9 in Simbad, is searched in vain. But the star (Gaia EDR3 251340116071393792) in the optical center of the nebula has a parallax measured by the Gaia probe of 0.8337 ± 0.0401 milli-arcseconds (mas), which corresponds to a distance of approximately 4000 light years. [147] Presumably the light reflected by the nebula comes from this star. On the photo in fig. 1, a dark molecular cloud can still be seen around the reflection nebula.

Further infos at CDS: GN 03.47.9

Finder Chart

The reflection nebula Kr 2-1 is located in the constellation Perseus. The best observation time is September to February.

Chart Reflection Nebula Kr 2-1
Reflection Nebula Kr 2-1 in constellation Perseus. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ≈ 6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ≈ 20 mag. [149, 160]

Visual Observation

Pending ...

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References

146«Version 2000 of the Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae» L. Kohoutek, A&A Volume 378, Number 3, November II 2001; DOI:10.1051/0004-6361:20011162; cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/378/843
147Aladin Lite; aladin.u-strasbg.fr/AladinLite (2020-12-23)
149SkySafari 6 Pro, Simulation Curriculum; skysafariastronomy.com
160The STScI Digitized Sky Survey; archive.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form
391«Morphological study of planetary nebulae. I. Observed forms of planetary nebulae.» Kromov, G. S.; Kohoutek, L.; Bulletin of the Astronomical Institutes of Czechoslovakia, Vol. 19, p. 1-11 (1968); Bibcode:1968BAICz..19....1K; ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1968BAICz..19....1K (2021-06-13)
393«New and misclassified planetary nebulae.» IAU Symp. 76, held at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, june 6-10, 1977. Planetary nebulae. Observations and theory. Ed by Y. Terzian., 47-62 (1978); Bibcode:1978IAUS...76...47K; ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978IAUS...76...47K (2021-06-13)
423«New diffuse and planetary nebulae» A. Krasnogorskaya; Astron. Tsirk., 230, 11-13 (1962); Bibcode:1962ATsir.230...11K; ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1962ATsir.230...11K/abstract (2021-08-26)
425«Catalogue of CO radial velocities toward galactic HII regions» Blitz, L. ; Fich, M. ; Stark, A. A.; Astrophysical Journal, Suppl. Ser., Vol. 49, p. 183-206 (1982); DOI:10.1086/190795