NGC 2169 is an open cluster in Orion, 3,050 light-years away
NGC 2169 (Herschel 400 no. 71, OCL 481) is an open cluster in the constellation Orion , 3,050 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 5.9 and spans 7.2′ of sky, about 6.4 light-years across. It is just visible to the naked eye from a dark site, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
Open cluster: a loose group of a few dozen to a few thousand young stars born together from one cloud of gas. They drift apart over a few hundred million years and lie in the disk of the Milky Way.
Finding NGC 2169 from Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse
NGC 2169
ORION
NGC 2169 lies 7.3° northeast of Betelgeuse , the magnitude 0.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 2169 is highest in the evening in February
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 37° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 68° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 80° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 55° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 81° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 55° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -46° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 64° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 74° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -75° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -66° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -83° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -54° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -81° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 45° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -73° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -63° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 17° 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 76°S, and never sets north of 76°N.
NGC 2169 is 3,050 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2169 tonight left it about 3,050 years ago. It ranks 29 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2169
NGC 2169 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 2169, Herschel 400 no. 71, OCL 481 Type open cluster Constellation Orion Right ascension (J2000) 06h 08.4m Declination (J2000) +13° 58′ Magnitude 5.9 Apparent size 7.2′ True size 6.4 light-years Distance 3,050 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Naked eye Herschel 400 number 71
