M50 (NGC 2323)
Also known as M50 · M 50 · NGC 2323
M50 (NGC 2323) is an open star cluster in the constellation Monoceros, about 2,940 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Position (J2000) | 7h 02m 40s, −8° 21′ |
| Distance | 2,940 light-years (its light set off about 2,940 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.9 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 31.6′ × 31.6′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 217 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M50 (NGC 2323) is highest in the sky at midnight in January. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 62° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 32°. To see it you need the naked eye from a dark site.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Monoceros
- Christmas Tree Cluster
- Cone Nebula
- Hubble's Variable Nebula
- Red Rectangle
- Red Rectangle Nebula
- Rosette B (NGC 2246)
- Rosette Nebula
- Seagull Nebula
Everything in Monoceros · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits