The sky around IC 426, 3° across, north up IC 424 IC 423 low-power eyepiece, 1° NE 1°
The sky around IC 426 at true scale, north up and east left, with stars to magnitude 8 and the NGC and IC objects in the field. The circles show the field of a low-power eyepiece and of 10×50 binoculars.

IC 426 · LBN 921

IC 426

Nebula in Orion

Nebula in Orion.

ORION

The box shows where IC 426 sits in Orion.

Constellation
OrionOri
Magnitude
-visual
Size
10′ × 3′apparent
Distance
-light-years
Best month
Januaryat 9 pm
Best with
Telescope

IC 426 is a nebula in Orion

IC 426 (LBN 921) is a nebula in the constellation Orion. Spans 10′ × 3′. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.

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 IC 426 from Alnilam

Alnilam IC 426 ORION

IC 426 lies 54′ north of Alnilam, the magnitude 1.7 star. That is within one binocular field.

IC 426 is highest in the evening in January

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 60°N JAN at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm 50°N JAN at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm 40°N JAN at 40°N: 48° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm 30°N JAN at 30°N: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 37° high at 9 pm 20°N JAN at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 64° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm 10°N JAN at 10°N: 72° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 71° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -71° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm 0° JAN at 0°: 75° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 74° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -74° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -76° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm 10°S JAN at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 71° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -71° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -72° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -44° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 44° high at 9 pm 20°S JAN at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 65° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -64° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -65° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm 30°S JAN at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm 40°S JAN at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 33° 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 90°N.

The distance to IC 426 is not well measured

No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.

Objects within 6° of IC 426

28 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:

IC 426 catalog data

FieldValue
ConstellationOrion
DesignationsIC 426, LBN 921
Typenebula
Right ascension (J2000)05h 36.5m
Declination (J2000)-00° 18′
Apparent size10′ × 3′
Best withTelescope
Best monthJanuary
Catalog pageIC 1 to 500