Cone Nebula is a H II region in Monoceros, 2,280 light-years away
Cone Nebula (NGC 2264, LBN 911) is a H II region in the constellation Monoceros , 2,280 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 3.9 and spans 3′ × 10′ of sky, about 2.0 light-years across. It is visible to the naked eye from a dark site, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding Cone Nebula from Alzirr
Alzirr
Cone Nebula
MONOCEROS
Cone Nebula lies 3.2° south of Alzirr , the magnitude 3.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Cone Nebula is highest in the evening in February
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 70° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 57° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 80° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 62° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 90° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 80° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -80° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 70° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -88° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -80° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -54° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -70° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 80°S.
Cone Nebula is 2,280 light-years away
The light seen from Cone Nebula tonight left it about 2,280 years ago. It ranks 41 of 124 by distance among the nebulae on Go Astronomy. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of Cone Nebula
NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula, cluster, 0′ C46 Hubble's Variable Nebula, reflection nebula, 1.2° NGC 2251, open cluster, 2.2° C50 Satellite Cluster, open cluster, 5.4° C49 Rosette Nebula, diffuse nebula, 5.4°
Cone Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 2264, LBN 911 Type H II region Constellation Monoceros Right ascension (J2000) 06h 41.0m Declination (J2000) +09° 54′ Magnitude 3.9 Apparent size 3′ × 10′ True size 2.0 light-years Distance 2,280 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Naked eye
