NGC 2163 is a reflection nebula in Orion
NGC 2163 (LBN 855) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion . Spans 3′ × 2′. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
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 2163 from Propus
Propus
NGC 2163
ORION
NGC 2163 lies 4.2° southwest of Propus , the magnitude 3.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 2163 is highest in the evening in February
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 58° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 48° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 0° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 67° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 76° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 82° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 67° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 78° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 70° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -70° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -65° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -79° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -67° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -84° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 37° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -65° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -77° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 28° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -60° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -68° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 13° 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 71°S, and never sets north of 71°N.
The distance to NGC 2163 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2163
16 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2175, cluster with nebula, 1.9° NGC 2174 Monkey Head Nebula, nebula, 2.0° IC 443 Jellyfish Nebula, supernova remnant, 4.4° NGC 2169, open cluster, 4.7° NGC 2129, open cluster, 4.9° IC 444, reflection nebula, 5.3° NGC 2158, open cluster, 5.4° IC 2157, open cluster, 5.5°
NGC 2163 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Orion Designations NGC 2163, LBN 855, IRAS 06048+1839 Type reflection nebula Right ascension (J2000) 06h 07.8m Declination (J2000) +18° 39′ Apparent size 3′ × 2′ Best with Telescope Best month February Catalog page NGC 2001 to 2500
