It was discovered by William Herschel on September 7, 1782, using a telescope of his own design in the garden at his home in Datchet, England, and was one of his earliest discoveries in his sky survey.

William Henry Smyth said that the Saturn Nebula was one of Struve's nine "Rare Celestial Objects".

It includes a halo, jet-like streams, multiple shells, ansae ("handles"), and small-scale filaments and knots.

In 1963 O'Dell estimated it to be 3,900 light-years (1.2 kpc), which gives an approximate diameter of 0.5 light years for the object as a whole.

This strong ultraviolet irradiation from the central star creates the characteristic fluorescent green tint of the nebula via the radiation of doubly ionized oxygen.