NGC 1663 is an open cluster in Orion
NGC 1663 (MWSC 0426) is an open cluster in the constellation Orion . It shines at magnitude 14.5 and spans 7.2′. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
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 1663 from Aldebaran
Aldebaran
NGC 1663
ORION
NGC 1663 lies 4.7° southeast of Aldebaran , the magnitude 0.9 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 1663 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: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 37° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 54° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 73° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 83° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 57° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 86° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -49° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -66° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 77° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -76° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 67° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -85° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -64° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -57° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -82° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -64° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -54° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -73° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 28° 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 77°S, and never sets north of 77°N.
The distance to NGC 1663 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 1663
4 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 1663 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Orion Designations NGC 1663, MWSC 0426 Type open cluster Right ascension (J2000) 04h 49.4m Declination (J2000) +13° 09′ Magnitude 14.5 (B 15.0) Apparent size 7.2′ Best with Large telescope Best month January Catalog page NGC 1501 to 2000
