| Abell 78 / Planetary Nebula, type IV |
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| R.A. | 21h 35m 29.5s (2000.0) |
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| Dec. | +31°41' 44" (2000.0) |
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| Apparent Size | 2.0×1.7' |
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| Real Size | 2.9×2.4 light yrs. |
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| Magnitude | 16.0 |
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| Distance | 5000 light yrs. |
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| Other IDs | PK 81-14.1 |
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This is a faint planetary nebula located about 5 degrees ENE of ζ Cygni, which marks the tip of the eastern wing of the constellation Cygnus.
A prominent feature is a blue elliptical region about 2 arcminutes in diameter, surrounded by an even fainter, nearly circular outer shell.
The inner and outer regions are primarily composed of helium and hydrogen respectively, and the 13th-magnitude central star exhibits a spectrum similar to that of a carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet star.
The nebula is estimated to be about 5000 light-years from the solar system.
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