C46
Reflection Nebula in Monoceros
About
A small fan-shaped reflection nebula in Monoceros, about 2,500 light-years away. The young star R Monocerotis at its tip lights the dust. Edwin Hubble took the first photograph made with the 200-inch Hale Telescope of it in 1949.
Imaging tips
- Only about 2′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- A reflection nebula, so shoot it with broadband filters rather than narrowband.
- Its shape and brightness change over weeks, so frames from different nights may not match.
- One published set used about 17.7 hours, mostly luminance, at 3,974 mm; another reached the nebula in 44 minutes with a modified DSLR at 2,896 mm.
- Best around December and January; it peaks near 49° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 2′ × 1′
- Magnitude
- 9.0
- Coordinates
- RA 6h 39.2m, Dec +8° 44′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Jan, Dec
- Peak altitude
- 49° from 50°N, 64° from 35°N