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Westerhout 55

W55, Sh2-86, LBN 135,
Sometimes catalogued as NGC 6820

Emission nebula in Vulpecula

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Proper Names	None
Messier Number	None
NGC/IC Number	Sometimes listed as NGC 6820 (a designation more usually applied to a reflection nebula within Westerhout 55)
Other Designations	Westerhout 55, W55, Sh2-86, LBN 135
Constellation	Vulpecula
Right Ascension	19h 43m 12s
Declination	+23° 15' 0"
Distance	c.6,000 light years c.1,800 parsecs (approximate)
Magnitude	Not recorded
Dimensions	Apparent: 40' x 30' Actual: 70 x 50 light years (approximate)
Optimum Visibility	July / August

Westerhout 55 is an extensive cloud of nebulous material in western Vulpecula, within which several open clusters are embedded. The most prominent of these, near the nebula's centre, is Collinder 405 or NGC 6823. Near the southwestern (lower right) bounds of Westerhout 55, a less prominent cluster, Collinder 404, has illuminated the surrounding gas and dust to create a small reflection nebula, NGC 6820. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

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