Deep red images reveal that the inner nebula is divided into two parts by a central dark lane, and there is evidence of a larger halo of fainter nebulosity extending perhaps out to 10 arcmin.

[4] RCW 88 is located about 3300 parsecs (10,000 light years)[1] from us, though other estimates place this at a closer 1800±300 pc.

[8] Assuming the former distance and the diameter as 5'-6' across, finds by simple trigonometry the true size subtends a minimum of 5±1 parsecs (16±3 light-years.)

This small emission nebula shows a mean radial velocity of −18 km.s−1,[7] and is also a faint radio source that was identified by Lloyd Higgs in 1971.

There is a 10.8v magnitude star identified as TYC 8702-56-1 positioned at RA : 15h 07m 25.1s Dec. : –57° 48' 32" (2000),[9] place 137 arc seconds southwest of the centre of the bright nebulosity.