Variable nebulae are exceptionally rare: their brightness visibly shifts over months or years as moving dust casts shadows from the star that illuminates them.
Canis Major — the Greater Dog — home to Sirius, the brightest star in Earth's night sky.
| Scientific Designation | PN-G 248.9−03.6 |
| Object Type | Variable Nebula |
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Coordinates (J2000) | RA 07h 50m 14.12s Dec −33° 26′ 36.0″ |
| Angular Dimensions | 0.7 × 0.5 arcmin |
| Imagery Source | DECaPS — DECam Plane Survey (NOIRLab, archival) |
| Publication | L'Astronomie, March 2019, vol. 133, No. 125, p.54 |
Mo 17's entry in the HASH PN Database (Hong Kong/AAO/Strasbourg Observatory), shown under registered researcher access.
Independently identified by Sankalp Mohan through cross-referenced analysis of public astronomical survey archives. Read the full discovery story →
This object is also listed in the HASH Planetary Nebula database (Hong Kong/AAO/Strasbourg Observatory), a professional research catalog requiring registered access — verification is available on request during your private consultation.
This dedication is a private, symbolic tribute. The object's formal catalog designation, shown above, remains unchanged in all professional astronomical databases.