IC 1266 (also known asTc 1) is aplanetary nebula located in the southern constellation ofAra. It is a compact emission nebula surrounding a dying star, appearing stellar due to its small angular size and faint gaseous spectrum. Discovered in 1894 by astronomerWilliamina Fleming, IC 1266 lies approximately 12,400light-years from Earth and is best observed from the Southern Hemisphere.[3][4]
IC 1266 has an apparent visual magnitude of 11.2 and spans about 0.2 arcminutes in diameter, making it one of the smaller known planetary nebulae.[5] The central star is anO-type starHD 161044, it has aP Cygni type profile.[6]
Spectroscopic and other studies reveal low-excitation lines typical of young planetary nebulae, with abundances of elements and molecules are found like[7] the firstfullerenes in space like C60 and C70[8][9] were discovered in this nebula in 2010 using theSpitzer Space Telescope. These molecules are therefore the largest found in space.[10]
