BARNARD 142 & 143 AKA BARNARD E

 DARK NEBULA IN AQUILA (THE EAGLE)

(Image centered at: ra 19h:40 m / dec  10º 57')

IMAGE WITH LABELS

JUNE 2026, Observatorio Cielos Albertnos, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Dark Nebula

APPARENT DIAMETER:  30 arc minutes

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): NA

DISTANCE: 2000 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

INSTRUMENT: Askar 180 FMA 

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS Mono Camera

MOUNT: VIXEN GPDX with SW EQ5 Motors guided off axis with a SX Lodestar Camera 

FILTERS: Baader LRGB Set 

SKY CONDITIONS: Bortle 3 skies

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

The "E" or "Barnard's E" Nebula (officially designated as Barnard 142 and 143) is a pair of dark nebulae in the Aquila constellation. Like most of the Barnard catalogued objects it is a well-defined dark area in front of the Milky Way background which is consisting of countless stars of all magnitudes. This dark nebula is getting its name from its resemblance to the letter E in the Latin alphabet (some how a part of the E is missing). Its size is about that of the full moon, or roughly 0.5 degrees, and its distance from earth is estimated at 2,000 light years.

The nebula was discovered and cataloged by the American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard in the early 20th century. In Barnard's catalog, it consists of two adjacent entries: Barnard 142 (which forms the southern part of the "E") and Barnard 143 (the darker section forming the crossbars).

Below an image with labels of the main dark nebulas which includes also Planetary Nebula Abell 62

BARNARD 142 & 143 AKA BARNARD E

 DARK NEBULA IN AQUILA (THE EAGLE)

IMAGE WITH LABELS