| NGC6309 / Planetary Nebula, type IIIb+VI |
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| R.A. | 17h 14m 04.5s (2000.0) |
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| Dec. | -12° 54' 41" (2000.0) |
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| Apparent Size | 16.0" |
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| Real Size | 0.5 light yrs. |
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| Magnitude | 10.8 |
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| Distance | 6500 light yrs. |
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| Other IDs | PK 9+14.1 |
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This is a small planetary nebula located in the southeastern part of the constellation Ophiuchus, about 3 degrees NNE of η Ophiuchi.
It has an apparent size of around 16 arcseconds and a brightness of 10th-magnitude, with a slightly elongated shape in the north-south direction.
At high magnifications, around 200x, the nebula's distinctive shape-as seen in this photo-can be observed.
Due to its overall appearance, it is sometimes nicknamed "The Box Nebula".
The nebula is estimated to be 6500 light-years from the solar system, with an actual diameter of about 0.5 light-years.
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