Its surface brightness is high, and the object is sharply delineated.
M57 Ring Nebula
| Right Ascension | 18 : 53.6 (h:m) |
|---|---|
| Declination | +33 : 02 (deg:m) |
| Distance | 2.3 (kly) |
| Visual Brightness | 8.8 (mag) |
| Apparent Dimension | 1.4x1.0 (arc min) |
Finder chart for M57
Again, don't expect to see what the Hubble sees. Not only is this from a LARGE aperture space-based 'scope, it is a time exposure. Color is not evident visually (though theoretically under perfect seeing conditions one might detect a greenish tinge). If you had an 8 or 10-inch backyard 'scope and were observing M57 in moderately light-polluted skies without a filter, here's an idea of what you'd see:
