NGC 2309 is an open cluster in Monoceros
NGC 2309 (MWSC 1026) is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros . It shines at magnitude 10.5 and spans 5.4′. 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 2309 from Sirius
Sirius
NGC 2309
MONOCEROS
NGC 2309 lies 9.9° north of Sirius , the magnitude -1.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 2309 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: 18° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -67° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 47° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 63° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -76° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -63° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -84° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 82° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 65° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -81° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 85° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 66° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -72° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 77° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -62° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 67° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 58° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -46° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 23° 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 83°N.
The distance to NGC 2309 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 2309
18 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2299, open cluster, 1.0° M50 Heart Cluster, open cluster, 2.0° NGC 2311, open cluster, 2.6° NGC 2335, open cluster, 3.9° IC 2177, reflection nebula, 3.9° IC 466, H II region, 4.2° NGC 2286, open cluster, 4.5° NGC 2343, open cluster, 4.6°
NGC 2309 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Monoceros Designations NGC 2309, MWSC 1026 Type open cluster Right ascension (J2000) 06h 56.1m Declination (J2000) -07° 10′ Magnitude 10.5 Apparent size 5.4′ Radial velocity 56 km/s Best with Telescope Best month February Catalog page NGC 2001 to 2500
