NGC 2259 is an open cluster in Monoceros
NGC 2259 (MWSC 0940) is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros . It shines at magnitude 10.8 and spans 6′. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, 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 2259 from Alhena
Alhena
NGC 2259
MONOCEROS
NGC 2259 lies 5.5° south of Alhena , the magnitude 1.9 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 2259 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: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 61° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 71° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 58° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 81° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -59° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -24° 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: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 89° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 62° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -54° 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: 30° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 79° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -57° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -79° 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°: 29° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 55° 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: -89° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 49° 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: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -81° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -71° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -51° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 14° 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 79°S, and never sets north of 79°N.
The distance to NGC 2259 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2259
16 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Cluster, cluster with nebula, 1.2° NGC 2247, reflection nebula, 1.4° NGC 2245, reflection nebula, 1.6° IC 447, H II region, 2.1° NGC 2261 Hubble's Variable Nebula, reflection nebula, 2.1° NGC 2251, open cluster, 2.7° NGC 2254, open cluster, 3.3° NGC 2236, open cluster, 4.6°
NGC 2259 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Monoceros Designations NGC 2259, MWSC 0940 Type open cluster Right ascension (J2000) 06h 38.4m Declination (J2000) +10° 53′ Magnitude 10.8 Apparent size 6′ Radial velocity 66 km/s Best with Telescope Best month February Catalog page NGC 2001 to 2500
