Abell Catalog of Planetary Nebulae
86 entries thought to be planetary nebulae, created in 1966.
The Abell Catalog of Planetary Nebulae, published in 1966 by George O. Abell, lists 86 objects initially identified as planetary nebulae. These objects were gathered from discoveries made before August 1955 during the National Geographic Society – Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, using photographic plates from the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Mount Palomar. Roughly half were found by Albert George Wilson, with the remainder by Abell, Robert George Harrington, and Rudolph Minkowski. Four entries appear in earlier catalogs: Abell 50 is NGC 6742, Abell 75 is NGC 7076, Abell 37 is IC 972, and Abell 81 is IC 1454. Four others were later ruled out as planetaries: Abell 11 (a reflection nebula), Abell 32 (a red plate flaw), Abell 76 (ring galaxy PGC 85185), and Abell 85 (supernova remnant CTB 1, which Abell’s 1966 paper noted as possibly such). Three more were omitted from the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae: Abell 9, Abell 17 (a red plate flaw), and Abell 64. Observing these planetaries typically requires a large aperture telescope, such as an 18-inch (0.46 m) model, along with an OIII filter.
- Catalog creator
- George O. Abell
- Year created
- 1966
- Number of entries
- 86
- Discovery survey
- National Geographic Society – Palomar Observatory Sky Survey
- Telescope
- 48-inch (1.2 m) Samuel Oschin telescope at Mount Palomar
- Discovery cutoff date
- August 1955
- Contributors
- Albert George Wilson, George O. Abell, Robert George Harrington, Rudolph Minkowski
Lore & Background
The catalog was created in 1966 by George O. Abell and included 86 objects thought to be planetary nebulae. About half were discovered by Albert George Wilson, with the remainder by Abell, Robert George Harrington, and Rudolph Minkowski. All discoveries were made before August 1955 using photographic plates from the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Mount Palomar, as part of the National Geographic Society – Palomar Observatory Sky Survey.
Four objects in the catalog are better known from previous catalogs: Abell 50 is NGC 6742, Abell 75 is NGC 7076, Abell 37 is IC 972, and Abell 81 is IC 1454. Another four were later rejected as not being planetaries: Abell 11 (reflection nebula), Abell 32 (red plate flaw), Abell 76 (ring galaxy PGC 85185), and Abell 85 (supernova remnant CTB 1, noted as possibly such in Abell's 1966 paper). Three more were not included in the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae: Abell 9, Abell 17 (red plate flaw), and Abell 64.
Planetaries on the list are best viewed with a large aperture telescope (e.g., 18-inch) and an OIII filter.
Reader's Guide
The Abell Catalog of Planetary Nebulae serves as a reference compendium of 86 objects originally thought to be planetary nebulae, compiled from discoveries made before August 1955. Its significance lies in its systematic collection from the National Geographic Society – Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, using the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope. The catalog includes objects later identified as other phenomena: four were rejected as not being planetaries (a reflection nebula, two red plate flaws, a ring galaxy, and a supernova remnant), and three were omitted from the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae. Four entries are better known from earlier catalogs (NGC 6742, NGC 7076, IC 972, and IC 1454). The catalog's legacy includes its use as a reference for amateur and professional astronomers, with the note that these planetaries are best observed with a large aperture telescope and an OIII filter.
Did You Know?
- About half the objects were discovered by Albert George Wilson.
- Four entries were later rejected as not being planetary nebulae, including Abell 85, a supernova remnant.
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