The Eskimo Nebula, also known as NGC 2392, is a super cool planetary nebula in the constellation Gemini, about 2,870 light-years away from Earth. It’s like the star’s last dance before it dies. It sheds its outer layers, revealing its hot, dense core, called a white dwarf. This white dwarf lights up and powers the surrounding gas, making it glow.
You can’t see the Eskimo Nebula naked eye. Even with binoculars, it’s too faint and small to be seen as anything but a star, even under dark skies.
But if you have a small telescope (4-6"), you’ll be amazed! It looks like a small, bright disk, sometimes with a fuzzy star-like shape. With a bit more magnification, you can see its circular shape. And if you have a larger telescope (8"+), especially under clear skies and with special filters (UHC or OIII), you’ll get an even better view. It starts to show details with a bright inner shell and a faint, filamentary outer halo.
These special details make NGC 2392 a favorite among stargazers, especially in late winter and early spring.
Eskimo Nebula
Rating: 🔵 Stagazer Favorite
Level: 🟢 Moderate
How:
When: mid-Nov to Apr
🌟 It Has a Striking Appearance In medium to large telescopes, the Eskimo Nebula shows a bright central “face” surrounded by a fuzzy outer “parka,” giving it its nickname and a truly distinctive look.
🌟 A Showcase Planetary Nebula As a classic planetary nebula, it’s a vivid example of a dying star shedding its outer layers—great for learning about stellar evolution.
🌟 Bright and Compact Despite being small in size, it’s bright (around magnitude 8.6), making it visible in small scopes and excellent in larger ones, especially with a UHC or OIII filter.
🌟 You Can See the Central Star Many planetary nebulae have faint central stars, but the white dwarf in the center of the Eskimo Nebula is visible in moderate apertures—an impressive sight.
🌟 Easy to Find in Gemini Located near the star Wasat (Delta Geminorum), the Eskimo is a relatively simple star-hop target in the winter sky.
🌟 It’s a Unique Sight in the Deep Sky Among the many planetary nebulae, the Eskimo stands out for both its brightness and personality—compact, colorful, and full of fine detail.
Planetary nebula: a glowing shell of gas ejected by a dying star, typically surrounding a hot white dwarf at its center.
Eskimo Nebula
Find the constellation Gemini with bright Castor (+1.58) and Pollux (+1.22). Find the much dimmer star Wasat (+3.53) .
Using a telescope finder, point to the Eskimo Nebula. It is a little bit more than 2° east of Wasat. It is close to the center of a triangle formed by Wasat, Al Kirkab and Alkibash.
Using a medium power eyepiece, scan the area looking for a 'fuzzy' star. Then use higher power to confirm.
Eskimo Nebula
✅ Find it in Gemini using star-hopping. Start at the star Wasat (Delta Geminorum) and hop about 2 degrees southeast.
✅ Use medium to high magnification. The Eskimo Nebula is small in angular size, so once you locate it, increase your magnification to 150x or higher to reveal its internal structure and bright core.
✅ Look for its bright central star. The white dwarf at the center is one of the easier ones to spot among planetary nebulae and can be clearly seen in 6-inch or larger scopes.
✅ Use an OIII or UHC filter to enhance contrast. A narrowband filter will help the nebula stand out from the background sky and enhance the faint outer details, especially the textured outer shell.
✅ Observe under steady seeing conditions. Since you’ll be using high magnification, atmospheric stability (seeing) matters more than transparency. Choose a calm night for the sharpest view.
✅ Try averted vision for faint structure. Looking slightly to the side of the nebula instead of directly at it can help you detect the fuzzy halo and subtle mottling in its outer layers.
✅ Note its color at the eyepiece. In good conditions, many observers report a slight bluish or greenish tint to the nebula—adding to its beauty and uniqueness.
✅ Take your time and revisit it. Like many planetary nebulae, the Eskimo reveals more the longer you observe. Subtle features like radial striations or a double-layered shell often appear with patience.
Eskimo Nebula
❌ Naked Eye
The Eskimo Nebula is far too small and faint to be seen with the naked eye, even under dark skies.
❌ Binoculars
The Eskimo Nebula is far too small to be seen with through binoculars, even under dark skies.
⚠️ Small Telescope
In a small telescope, it appears as a small, slightly bluish or greenish star-like point—easily mistaken for a star unless high magnification is applied.
✅ Medium Telescope
With a medium telescope, the nebula becomes distinctly non-stellar, taking on a round, fuzzy appearance with a bright central star; careful observers may begin to see hints of texture or asymmetry, especially with a UHC or OIII filter.
✅ Large Telescope
In a large telescope, the Eskimo reveals its nickname clearly: the bright central star is surrounded by a complex, mottled shell that resembles a parka hood, with radial striations and internal detail becoming visible at high magnification, making it one of the most visually striking planetary nebulae in the sky.
Eskimo Nebula
The Eskimo Nebula holds up better than many deep-sky objects under light pollution due to its compact size and brightness. However, its character—the layered, face-like structure and fine detail—only emerges in dark skies with high magnification. In urban environments, it’s reduced to a bright dot with a faint haze, but in dark skies, it becomes one of the most intriguing and memorable planetary nebulae in the winter sky.
🟣 In Bortle 1–2 skies, the Eskimo Nebula is sharp and distinct. It appears as a compact, round glow with a bright central star and a well-defined outer shell. Under high magnification and steady skies, intricate detail emerges—textured rings, a layered “hood,” and subtle variations in brightness that give it a dynamic, almost living appearance. The surrounding star field is rich, providing context and depth that help the nebula stand out with contrast and elegance.
🔵 In Bortle 3–4 skies, the nebula remains bright and easy to see. The central star is prominent, and the general shape is clear. However, some of the finer texture and layered appearance begins to soften. The “face in a hood” impression is still possible with effort and magnification, but the subtleties become more elusive. The background stars are fewer, and the nebula begins to feel more isolated.
🟢 In Bortle 5–6 skies, the Eskimo Nebula is still detectable, but its appearance is flatter and less defined. The central star may dominate the view, and the surrounding glow is visible but less structured. The bright outer halo blends more with the sky, and the internal detail mostly disappears. The nebula becomes a roundish smudge with a bright point in the middle, lacking the distinctiveness it shows under darker conditions.
🟡 In Bortle 7+ skies, the nebula becomes a challenge. It may still be visible as a small, faint blur around a star, but it loses almost all detail. The structure that gives it the Eskimo nickname is completely lost. The surrounding field is washed out, reducing contrast and making it harder to even identify as a nebula without knowing exactly where to look.
Eskimo Nebula
DSOs within 48° or 2 outstretched hands at arm's length
Eskimo Nebula - a cosmic glowing face in Gemini’s winter skies
Find the constellation Gemini with bright Castor (+1.58) and Pollux (+1.22). Find the much dimmer star Wasat (+3.53) .
Using a telescope finder, point to the Eskimo Nebula. It is a little bit more than 2° east of Wasat. It is close to the center of a triangle formed by Wasat, Al Kirkab and Alkibash.
Using a medium power eyepiece, scan the area looking for a 'fuzzy' star. Then use higher power to confirm.
