Planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets; they are so named because the first ones identified appeared disk-like. Sometime in the life of a star, before it has cooled and become a white dwarf, pressure from its core can expel the outer layers leaving an expanding shell of gas called a planetary nebula.

This observing program concentrates on planetary nebulae - a total of 30 such objects. The table below includes name, constellation, visual magnitude (provided by Jack Marling), and diameter (based upon the work of Perek and Kohoutek). This program is based on a list compiled by Brian Skiff.