NGC 2254 is an open cluster in Monoceros
NGC 2254 (MWSC 0924) is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros . It shines at magnitude 9.1 and spans 4.2′. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, 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 2254 from Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse
NGC 2254
MONOCEROS
NGC 2254 lies 10.1° east of Betelgeuse , the magnitude 0.5 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 2254 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: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -18° 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: 21° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 48° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 58° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 78° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -62° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 87° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -72° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 82° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -82° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -59° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -88° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 62° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -78° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -68° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -54° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 17° 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 82°S.
The distance to NGC 2254 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2254
20 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2251, open cluster, 45′ NGC 2261 Hubble's Variable Nebula, reflection nebula, 1.4° NGC 2236, open cluster, 1.7° NGC 2252, open cluster, 2.3° IC 447, H II region, 2.5° NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Cluster, cluster with nebula, 2.6° NGC 2245, reflection nebula, 2.6° NGC 2246, nebula, 2.7°
NGC 2254 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Monoceros Designations NGC 2254, MWSC 0924 Type open cluster Right ascension (J2000) 06h 35.8m Declination (J2000) +07° 40′ Magnitude 9.1 (B 9.7) Apparent size 4.2′ Radial velocity 53 km/s Best with Small telescope Best month February Catalog page NGC 2001 to 2500
