NGC 2020 is an emission nebula in Dorado
NGC 2020 is an emission nebula in the constellation Dorado . Spans 3.2′ × 2.9′. 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 NGC 2020 from Canopus
Canopus
NGC 2020
DORADO
NGC 2020 lies 16.2° south of Canopus , the magnitude -0.6 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 2020 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: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -58° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -69° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -80° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -80° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -69° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -58° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -62° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -71° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -71° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -16° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 53° 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 22°N, and never sets south of 22°S.
The distance to NGC 2020 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2020
342 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2014, nebula, 5′ NGC 2011, open cluster, 13′ NGC 2030, H II region, 14′ NGC 2032, H II region, 15′ NGC 2035 Dragon’s Head Nebula, nebula, 15′ NGC 2021, open cluster, 16′ NGC 2040, nebula, 19′ NGC 2004, globular cluster, 29′
NGC 2020 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Dorado Designations NGC 2020 Type emission nebula Right ascension (J2000) 05h 33.2m Declination (J2000) -67° 43′ Apparent size 3.2′ × 2.9′ Position angle 50° Best with Telescope Best month January Catalog page NGC 2001 to 2500
