Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 25, 2026

Sh 2-2

Sh 2-2, also known as Sharpless 2, is an emission nebula in the constellation of Scorpius. It appears as a mid-range brightness making it difficult to view. It is believed to currently host an X-ray binary star that originated and was ejected from the Scorpius OB1 association. Amateur astronomers can usually see it with a wide field telescope and a hydrogen-alpha filter.

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
155 w
Citations
5
Source
Sh 2-2
Emission nebula
H II region
Image of Sharpless 2
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension17h 04m 06.6s1
Declination−38° 08′ 33″1
Apparent dimensions (V)1°1
ConstellationScorpius
DesignationsSh 2-2, Gum 57

Sh 2-2, also known as Sharpless 2, is an emission nebula in the constellation of Scorpius. It appears as a mid-range brightness making it difficult to view. It is believed to currently host an X-ray binary star that originated and was ejected from the Scorpius OB1 association. Amateur astronomers can usually see it with a wide field telescope and a hydrogen-alpha filter.

The nebulous area is fairly large with an irregular shape appearing as a H II region.2 The remnant has an apparent diameter that covers approximately 60'. It is seen behind the open cluster NGC 6281.3

References

References

  1. "VizieR Detailed Page". Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. 20 December 2013.
  2. "CCD Images of the Sharpless Catalog". Dean Salman. 20 December 2013.
  3. http://galaxymap.org/cat/view/sharpless/2
External links