Monoceros - The Unicorn

Learn about the constellation Monoceros - The Unicorn, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Monoceros is a faint constellation in the winter night sky.

Location: Northern Winter 7h RA -5° Dec

Monoceros is an almost invisible constellation, with only a few fourth-magnitude stars. Monoceros does have something interesting to see with the aid of a small telescope. β Monocerotis is an impressive triple star system, the three stars form a triangle which seems to be fixed.

Mythology

Monoceros is a modern constellation and not one of Ptolemy's 48 in the Almagest. It is generally believed to have been named by the Dutch astronomer and theologian Petrus Plancius in 1613 and later charted by German astronomer Jakob Bartsch as Unicornu on his star chart of 1624.

Deep Space Objects

M50 is an open cluster described as a 'heart-shaped' figure.

The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237, 2238, 2239, and 2246) is a diffuse nebula in Monoceros. It has an associated star cluster and possesses many Bok globules in its dark areas.

The Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264) is another open cluster in Monoceros. Named for its resemblance to a Christmas tree.

The Cone Nebula (NGC 2264), associated with the Christmas Tree Cluster, is a very dim nebula that contains a dark conic structure.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.

#		Common Name	Constellation	Month	Coords	Direction	Mag	Size (arcmin)	Type	Star Chart
C46 NGC 2261		Hubbles Variable Nebula	Monoceros	Jan	06h 39.2m RA +08° 44m Dec	S		2	Bright Nebula	🔍︎
C49 NGC 2237		Rosette Nebula	Monoceros	Dec	06h 32.3m RA +05° 03m Dec	S	9.00	78	Bright Nebula	🔍︎
C50 NGC 2244		Harp Cluster	Monoceros	Dec	06h 32.4m RA +04° 52m Dec	S	4.80	24	Open Cluster	🔍︎
C54 NGC 2506			Monoceros	Jan	08h 00.2m RA -10° 47m Dec	S	7.60	12	Open Cluster	🔍︎
M50 NGC 2323		Heart-Shaped Cluster	Monoceros	Jan	07h 03.2m RA -08° 20m Dec	S	5.90	16	Open Cluster	🔍︎