Constellation Chart

The Unicorn

The constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn, is often overlooked in the Winter's Great Triangle that is formed by Betelgeuse, Sirius, and Procyon. "Unicorn" is an imaginary animal looks like a horse with a long corn at its head. The constellation was newly established by Bartsch in 17th century.

It might be hard to trace the figure of the beast in the fine Milky Way. But Monoceros includes a few splendid deep sky objects, and it's the Rosette Nebula at the head of the list found around the head of the Unicorn. The nebula is very photogenic; you can see that in this picture. Corn Nebula

Monoceros lies next to Orion on the band of the Milky Way, and so the area of space it describes is on the plane of our Galaxy. Much of the Milky Way visible in this constellation belongs to the Orion Arm of the Galaxy.

Nebula's In Monoceros

NGC 2261

A tiny reflection nebula of NGC2261 is positioned at 1 degree SW of nebulosity NGC2264 around the northern region of the Monoceros. NGC2261 is reflecting the light of "R Mon" at the southern edge of the nebula. R Mon changes in magnitude from 11 to 13, and the nebula itself changes the brightness with the variable star. The nebula has a famous nickname of "Hubble's variable nebula". The nebula has an apparent figure like a flame being spread toward north. You can appreciate the bluish white light like this picture through scopes.

IC2177

IC2177 is a huge diffused nebula spread around 7 degrees north-east of Sirius, The shape has given a nickname of "The Seagull Nebula". Unfortunately, this nebula hardly be seen with naked eyes same as many other diffused nebulae. The nebula has a length of 2 degrees in north-south direction, only normal photo lenses can detect the shape of seagull clearly. The catalogue number of IC2177 occupies only area of seagull's wings, and a head is named NGC2327. These gigantic hydrogen clouds are floating about 1800 light-years away. And you can see an open cluster of M50 in upper side of this picture.

NGC 2182

NGC2182 is a reflection nebula in Monoceros. This faint nebula is not that clear. The nebulas Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 06 09 30.0 & Declination: -06 20 00.

NGC 2170

NGC 2170 is a reflection nebula in Monoceros. This nebula is not that clear. The nebulas Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 06 07 30.0 & Declination: -06 24 00.

NGC 2264

The Cone Nebula lies in the southern part of NGC 2264, the Christmas Tree cluster. This is a rich region with much nebulosity and many interesting objects. The Christmas Tree cluster has at its base the variable star S Mon (also known as 15 Mon). If viewed with this northern portion at the bottom, the stars of this cluster form the outline of a Christmas Tree, topped by the 7th magnitude variable star V427 Mon.

S Mon is an irregular eruptive variable that varies from 4.62 to 4.68 magnitude. A hot, massive star of spectral type O8, it is at least 8000 times as luminous as the sun. The variability is produced by variations in the chromosphere, which are also related to the outflow (or stellar wind) emanating from this recently formed and relatively short lived massive star. S Mon has an 8th magnitude companion 2.9" away at position angle 213o.

V427 Mon, at the top of the Christmas Tree, is an irregular eruptive variable of the Orion type. This main sequence star of spectral type B3 has a photographic variability of almost two magnitudes. This star is probably very young and not quite yet completely at the stable main sequence stage. Look for a companion 12.8" distant at position angle 153o. The area around V427 Mon is populated with dozens of Orion variables.

You should be able to see nebulosity surrounding S Mon, as well as a group of stars about 10' to it's southwest. If you cannot see this nebulosity, there is no point in looking for the much more difficult Cone nebula. The Cone nebula lies near V427 Mon, making a very faint haze around and to the south of this star. Like the Horsehead nebula, the Cone's shape comes from an intervening dark cloud that lies to the south of V427 Mon.

NGC 2185

NGC2185 is a reflection nebula in Monoceros. This faint nebula is not that clear. The nebulas Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 06 11 5.9 & Declination: -06 13 00.

V838 Monocerotis

The star, named V838 Monocerotis for its location in the constellation of the same name, suddenly grew 600,000 times brighter than the sun in January 2002. The flash temporarily made the star -- in the constellation also known as The Unicorn -- the brightest light in the Milky Way.

Though not the result of a supernova -- a titanic explosion that blasts a giant star into oblivion -- V838 Mon's eruption nevertheless was powerful enough to light up a considerable chunk of its neighborhood.

The nova, a more gradual ejection of stellar material, also provided astronomers with a view to a phenomenon known as "light echo."

"As light from the outburst continues to reflect off the dust surrounding the star, we (can) view continuously changing cross-sections of the dust envelope," said Howard Bond, the lead astronomer, with the Space Telescope Science Institute. "Hubble's sharp view is allowing us to do 'astronomical tomography' of the dust with unprecedented resolution."

Open Cluster In Monoceros

M50 (NGC2323)

M50 (NGC2323) is the only Messier object in this constellation, an open cluster with a size of about 16 arc minutes. You'll find out the cluster near the boundary to Canis Major. Sirius (alpha CMa) is a good mark to search that, about 9 degrees NE of the brightest star in the sky. The cluster contains approximately 100 fine stars, and a nebula-like view will be appreciated through binoculars. Distance is estimated about 2600 light years.

NGC2301

This image shows you a medium sized open cluster of NGC2301. You can find out about 6.5 degrees southeast of Rosette Nebula in Monoceros. The cluster is floating within the fine Milky Way in winter, you can count about 60 fine stars in 12 arc minutes. The cluster can be enjoyed only with binoculars, has an impression of member stars of even sizes. NGC2301 is in Monoceros in which several dazzling objects like the Rosette Nebula, so the cluster is not taken an attention well.

NGC2353

At around the southern edge of the constellation of Monoceros, NGC2353 is an small open cluster positioned nearby the boundary on Canis Major. The cluster has a visual brightness of 7th magnitude and an apparent diameter of about 20 arc minutes. A famous reddish diffused nebula of "Seagull Nebula (IC2177)" is lying in only 2 degrees west of the tiny cluster. Actually the open cluster is bathed in the extraordinary dimmed gaseous matter that surrounds the Seagull Nebula, but you cannot detect its nebula because of bad condition when this picture was taken. It might be needed small telescopes to appreciate the cluster, rather than binoculars.

Planetary Destinations In Monoceros

HD 46375 (K1 IV)

HD 46375 b was one of the first extrasolar planets discovered with a mass similar to Saturn. This planet is epistellar, a smaller sibling to Hot Jupiters like 51 Pegasi and tau Bootes. Here we see the planet's glowing red surface covered by clouds of silicate vapor. Superbolts of lightning dot the planet's night side. Any moons of this world would be scorched, rocky, and barren.

Parent Star: HD 46375 (K1 IV) in the constellation of Monoceros is located at a distance of 109 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 06 33 12.6237 & Declination: +05 27 46.532. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 7.94. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.49 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone is 1.53 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 10000 million years. Orbiting around HD 46375 is planet HD 46375b the planet is believed to be a Cloudy Hot Jupiter and its exitence has been confirmed. The Planets Appearance is Silicate clouds over dark sodium haze and the Planet it is outside of habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.041 AU. The estimated mass of the planet is 0.249 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 3.024 Days and was discovered by MARCY G., BUTLER P. & VOGT S. in 2000.

HD 52265 (G0 V)

Parent Star: HD 52265 (G0 V)in the constellation of Monoceros is located at a distance of 91.55 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 07 00 18.0363 & Declination: -05 22 01.783. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 6.3. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.73 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone is 2.29 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 6930 million years. Orbiting around HD 52265 is planet HD 52265b the planet is believed to be a Clarified Jovian, Eccentric and its exitence has been confirmed. The Planets Appearance is Blue and cloudless and the Planet it is outside of habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.49 ± 0.008 AU. The estimated mass of the planet is 1.13 ± 0.06 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 118.96 ± 0.1 Days and was discovered byMichel Mayor, Dominique Naef, Francesco Pepe, Didier Queloz, Nuno Santos, Stephane Udry and Michel Burnet in 2000.