---
title: "Little Gem Nebula"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6818"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. Little Gem Nebula [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6818"
---

# Little Gem Nebula

Little Gem Nebula is a planetary [nebula](https://spacecatalog.org/nebulae) in the constellation [Sagittarius](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/sagittarius), 2055 parsecs from Earth as published by Stanghellini+ 2008 (about 6703 ly, converted by SpaceCatalog), shining at apparent magnitude 9.30 (V). Other catalogues list it as HD 186282, IRAS 19411-1416 and IRAS F19411-1416, among 6 designations in total. It was discovered in 1787.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Planetary nebula
- **HOW FAR:** 6703 ly — The light arriving now left it that long ago.
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 46″ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 9.30 — Binoculars reach it; the naked eye does not.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Sagittarius](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/sagittarius) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Planetary nebula |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 2055 pc (Stanghellini+ 2008) — ≈ 6703 ly, converted by SpaceCatalog · by Statistical distance scale for planetary nebulae (Stanghellini+ 2008) |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 9.30 |
| CONSTELLATION | Sagittarius |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 19h 43m 57.7s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −14° 09′ 11.4″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1787 |

## Catalogue data

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 9.90 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.30 |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | 10.66 |
| Apparent magnitude (H band) | 10.60 |
| Apparent magnitude (K) | 9.91 |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Radial velocity | −14 km/s |
| Redshift (z) | −4.6×10⁻⁵ |
| Major axis | 0.77′ |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | William Herschel |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | PN |
| Wikidata item | Q1139577 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 6818 |

### WHERE THESE FIGURES CAME FROM

Which catalogue, paper or model each of the fields above was read from, where the source named one.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Distance catalogue entry | NGC 6818 |

## Also known as

- Common name: Little Gem Nebula
- HD: HD 186282
- IRAS: IRAS 19411-1416
- IRAS: IRAS F19411-1416
- NGC: NGC 6818
- PN: PN G025.8-17.9

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. Little Gem Nebula \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6818

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-6818,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{Little Gem Nebula}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6818},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6818