Sh2-251 is an emission nebula (H II region) in Taurus
Sh2-251 (LBN 849) is an emission nebula (H II region) in the constellation Taurus . 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.
Sh2-251 is Sh2-251 in the Sharpless catalog
Stewart Sharpless listed it in his catalog of H II regions (1959), drawn from the red and blue prints of the Palomar Sky Survey. He rated each region's brightness on a scale of 1 to 3; Sh2-251 is faint (class 1 of 3). It is also listed as LBN 849.
Finding Sh2-251 from Tabit
Tabit
Sh2-251
TAURUS
Sh2-251 lies 4.3° west of Tabit , the magnitude 3.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Sh2-251 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: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -9° 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: 31° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 56° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 66° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -54° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 76° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 58° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 86° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 58° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 84° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 58° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -0° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -84° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -59° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 74° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -86° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -76° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -66° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 37° 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 84°S.
The distance to Sh2-251 is not well measured
Objects within 6° of Sh2-251
Sh2-251 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 849 Type emission nebula (H II region) Constellation Taurus Right ascension (J2000) 04h 33.0m Declination (J2000) +05° 52′ Best month January Best with Telescope Sharpless number Sh2-251 Sharpless brightness Faint (class 1 of 3)
