NGC 2215 is an open cluster in Monoceros, 3,020 light-years away
NGC 2215 (Herschel 400 no. 76, OCL 550) is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros , 3,020 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 8.4 and spans 8.4′ of sky, about 7.4 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, 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 2215 from Sirius
Sirius
NGC 2215
MONOCEROS
NGC 2215 lies 11.1° northwest of Sirius , the magnitude -1.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 2215 is highest in the evening in February
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 37° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 45° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -67° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 24° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 62° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 48° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -77° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -86° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 81° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -82° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 84° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -72° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 62° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 76° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -63° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 67° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -41° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -36° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 30° 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 southern hemisphere and north to about 83°N.
NGC 2215 is 3,020 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2215 tonight left it about 3,020 years ago. It ranks 28 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2215
NGC 2215 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 2215, Herschel 400 no. 76, OCL 550 Type open cluster Constellation Monoceros Right ascension (J2000) 06h 20.8m Declination (J2000) -07° 17′ Magnitude 8.4 Apparent size 8.4′ True size 7.4 light-years Distance 3,020 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Binoculars Herschel 400 number 76
