NGC 2354 is an open cluster in Canis Major, 4,010 light-years away
NGC 2354 (Herschel 400 no. 91, OCL 639) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major , 4,010 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 6.5 and spans 4.8′ of sky, about 5.6 light-years across. It is visible in small 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 2354 from Wezen
Wezen
NGC 2354
CANIS MAJOR
NGC 2354 lies 1.5° northeast of Wezen , the magnitude 1.8 star. That is within one binocular field.
NGC 2354 is highest in the evening in February
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -64° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -73° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -54° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -80° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -71° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -79° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -70° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -72° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -58° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 66° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 80° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 71° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 81° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 73° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 29° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 74° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 31° 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 64°N, and never sets south of 64°S.
NGC 2354 is 4,010 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2354 tonight left it about 4,010 years ago. It ranks 44 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2354
NGC 2354 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 2354, Herschel 400 no. 91, OCL 639 Type open cluster Constellation Canis Major Right ascension (J2000) 07h 14.1m Declination (J2000) -25° 41′ Magnitude 6.5 Apparent size 4.8′ True size 5.6 light-years Distance 4,010 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Binoculars Herschel 400 number 91
