🌟 A Compact but Bright Planetary Nebula
Despite its small size, NGC 6818 shines brightly enough to be easily noticed once located. With enough magnification, its condensed glow stands out from the surrounding star field.

🌟 A Splash of Color in the Milky Way
Under the right conditions, NGC 6818 shows a soft bluish-green tint, caused by the glow of ionized gases. This makes it one of those rare deep-sky objects that offers a hint of true color through the eyepiece.

🌟 A Nebula That Rewards Magnification
At low power, NGC 6818 appears as a star, but higher magnification reveals its true nebular nature. The small disk swells into view, sometimes showing a slightly brighter core with a surrounding shell. This transformation makes it a fun object for experimenting with different eyepieces and powers.

🌟 A Summer Jewel in Sagittarius
Set against the star-rich backdrop of Sagittarius, NGC 6818 offers contrast to the clusters and nebulae that dominate the constellation. Including it in a summer observing tour gives variety, allowing observers to enjoy a compact planetary nebula in the same region as sprawling star clouds and massive globulars.

🌟 An Object That Improves with Aperture
Small telescopes show NGC 6818 as a tiny, disk, but larger apertures begin to bring out more structure—such as uneven brightness across its face and faint hints of an outer halo. It’s an object worth revisiting as your equipment and experience grow.

🌟 A Lesser-Known Planetary with Character
While the Ring Nebula and Dumbbell Nebula get most of the attention, the Little Gem is a more subtle cousin that many overlook. Adding it to your list ensures you’ll experience a bright planetary that is unique, living up to its name as a hidden treasure in the sky.

Although the Little Gem Nebula is technically in the constellation Sagittarius, it is easier to find using Capricornus, and for this, the Summer Triangle is a good place to start.

Find the three stars of the Summer Triangle, very bright Vega (+0.02), Altair (+0.93) and Deneb (+1.33). Hop from Vega to Altair and then continue to Algedi in Capricornus. Algedi actually consists of two stars, Algiedi Prima (+4.23) and Algiedi Secunda (+3.57). Being just 6 arc-minutes apart, you may be able to see them as two stars even under light-polluted skies.

With a telescope finder, point to the Algedi pair. Now for the challenging part... using either a telescope finder or a low-powered eyepiece, hop about 6° to 61 Sagittarii and then about 4° to a group of three stars that form a wide triangle, 54 Sagittarii, 55 Sagittarii, and HR 7496. All four of these stars are magnitude +5.

Carefully examine the shape of the triangle. Now hop from 55 Sagittarii to HR 7496 and continue in the same direction about 1.3°. At low power, NGC 6818 will first appear like a faint star in the field. Increase magnification, and the “star” refuses to sharpen into a point—instead it swells into a tiny disk that may appear bluish. With patience and steady seeing, you’ll recognize the Little Gem’s compact, jewel-like glow.

Need Help? Use binoculars to map out the steps to help you become more familiar with the area. Note that you probably won't be able to see the Little Gem Nebula in standard 10x50 binoculars except perhaps as a dim, tiny star.

✅ Begin with Low Power to Locate It
At first glance, NGC 6818 resembles a faint star, so start with a low-power eyepiece to sweep the rich Sagittarius field. Once centered, increase magnification and you’ll notice it refuses to sharpen into a pinpoint like the surrounding stars, giving away its nebular nature.

✅ Increase Magnification for Details
This nebula needs higher powers due to its small size. Around 150× with larger telescopes, the “star” swells into a compact disk, often with a slightly brighter center and a surrounding haze. This transformation makes magnification one of the most effective tools for appreciating its planetary nature.

✅ Watch for Hints of Color
NGC 6818 is one of the few planetaries that may reveal a bluish-green tint through the eyepiece. The effect is most noticeable under steady skies. Use direct vision to compare it against nearby stars—the color contrast helps it stand out.

✅ Filters Can Help, But Aren’t Essential
Because of its brightness, NGC 6818 holds up well even without filters. An OIII or UHC filter can enhance its glow and improve contrast, but try it both ways.

✅ Use Averted Vision to Probe Detail
Though compact, NGC 6818 shows uneven brightness across its disk that becomes more apparent with averted vision. Switching between direct and averted vision can reveal a layered look—a brighter core surrounded by a softer outer shell.

✅ Pair It with other Sagittarius Treasures
The Little Gem sits near one of the richest regions of the Milky Way. After finding it, take advantage of the location by pairing it with nearby globulars like M22 and nebulae like the Lagoon (M8) and Trifid (M20). Its compact brightness provides a striking contrast to the sprawling deep-sky wonders nearby.

❌ Naked Eye
To the naked eye, NGC 6818 is invisible. Even under the darkest skies, it is far too small and faint to be distinguished without optical aid.

❌ Binoculars
Through binoculars, the nebula also cannot be directly seen. Even large binoculars will only reveal the surrounding star field, and NGC 6818 will masquerade as one of many faint stars. Binoculars are most useful for orienting yourself while finding it.

⚠️ Small Telescope
In a small telescope of about 3–4 inches, NGC 6818 first looks like a dim, slightly bloated star. At low power it is easy to mistake for a faint stellar point, but with careful focusing and higher magnification (60x), it swells into a tiny round disk that holds steady against the pinpoint stars nearby.

✅ Medium Telescope
Through a medium telescope in the 6–10 inch range, the nebula becomes far more obvious as a planetary. The small disk is clearly defined, sometimes showing a brighter inner region surrounded by a softer glow. Observers often begin to notice a subtle bluish-green tint at this stage, adding to its jewel-like quality.

✅ Large Telescope
In a large telescope of 12 inches or more, NGC 6818 truly lives up to its name as the Little Gem. The disk is well defined, the uneven brightness across its face is easier to trace, and hints of layered structure or a faint halo may be seen under dark skies. Its color becomes more distinct.

🟣 Bortle 1–2 (Pristine Dark Skies). Under the darkest skies, NGC 6818 is a sharp little jewel in Sagittarius. Its small, rounded disk is visible even at lower magnifications, and with higher power it shows a slightly brighter center surrounded by a softer halo. A faint bluish-green tint stands out against the rich Milky Way backdrop, giving the nebula its gem-like quality.

🔵/🟢 Bortle 3–4 (Rural/Suburban Transition). In these skies, the Little Gem remains easy to spot. Its compact disk separates cleanly from nearby stars, though the surrounding star field is less overwhelming. The color may still be glimpsed, especially in medium telescopes, though the faint halo becomes more subtle.

🟡 Bortle 5–6 (Suburban Skies). NGC 6818 begins to lose some of its sparkle under heavier light pollution. The nebula is still visible as a small, non-stellar disk, but its subtle halo and color are more difficult to detect. Higher magnification helps distinguish it from stars, and an OIII or UHC filter can increase contrast, though the nebula’s small size means filters add only a modest boost.

🟠/🔴 Bortle 7+ (Urban/City Skies). In bright urban skies, NGC 6818 shrinks to a challenging target. It may appear only as a slightly fuzzy “star” without structure or color, requiring higher magnification to confirm its disk-like nature. Observers using large telescopes and filters can still hold it in view, but the Little Gem loses much of its distinctive character in these conditions.