Thor's Helmet
Also known as NGC 2359
Thor's Helmet is an HII region (glowing hydrogen) in the constellation Canis Major.
Bubble around a Wolf-Rayet star
Facts
| Type | HII region (glowing hydrogen) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Position (J2000) | 7h 18m 30s, −13° 13′ |
| Size on the sky | 10′ × 5′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | UHC (narrowband) filter (Glowing gas shines in a few colours of hydrogen and oxygen: a UHC filter passes those and blocks most light pollution and sky glow.) |
| Studied in | 172 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Thor's Helmet is highest in the sky at midnight in January. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 57° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 27°.
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 Canis Major
- Adhara
- Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy
- Caroline's Cluster (NGC 2360)
- M41 (NGC 2287)
- Mirzam
- Sirius
- VY Canis Majoris
- Wezen
Everything in Canis Major · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits