Red Rectangle
Red Rectangle is a post-agb star in the constellation Monoceros, about 1,440 light-years from Earth.
Protoplanetary nebula
Facts
| Type | Post-agb star (spectral type B9Ib/II) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Position (J2000) | 6h 19m 58s, −10° 38′ |
| Distance | 1,440 light-years (its light set off about 1,440 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 9.02 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Studied in | 802 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Red Rectangle is highest in the sky at midnight in December. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 59° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 29°. To see it you need a small telescope.
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
- M50 (NGC 2323)
- 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) · Data sources & credits