NGC 2194
Scientific overview
NGC 2194 is an open cluster in the constellation Orion. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.5 and spans about 8.7 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · NGC 2194
| Distance | 11,415 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 28.889451 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 8.559 ± 0.535 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 93.44 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 12.813056 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2022MNRAS.509..421N · distance indicator: paral · catalogued value · source value 3.5 kpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2023A&A...674A..37G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Orion
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower SwordNGC 1980 | Cluster with nebulosity | 2.5 | 9.3 |
| Great Orion NebulaM 42 · NGC 1976 | Cluster with nebulosity | 4 | 90 |
| Upper SwordNGC 1981 | Cluster with nebulosity | 4.2 | 9 |
| NGC 1788NGC 1788 | Reflection nebula | 5.8 | 2 |
| NGC 2169NGC 2169 | Open cluster | 5.9 | 7.2 |
| NGC 1662NGC 1662 | Open cluster | 6.4 | 13.8 |
| NGC 2175NGC 2175 | Cluster with nebulosity | 6.8 | 5.4 |
| NGC 1973NGC 1973 | Nebula | 7 | 5 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.