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H II region · Monoceros

Rosette Nebula

Deep skyC 49NGC 2238

Scientific overview

Rosette Nebula is an H II region in the constellation Monoceros. It shines at apparent magnitude 6 and spans about 80 arcminutes of sky.

Observation guide

Difficulty
Binoculars
Recommended equipment
10×50 binoculars or any small telescope
Best observed
Winter (evening sky)
Best hemisphere
Both (equatorial)

Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.

Location in the sky

Constellation
Monoceros
RA / Dec
6.5112h / 5.0131°
Hemisphere
Both
Season
Winter

Precision measurements

Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · NGC 2238

Right ascension (ICRS)97.625 degSIMBAD · measured
Declination (ICRS)5.05 degSIMBAD · measured
Full field-level provenance
  • Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 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.

ObjectTypeMagSize (′)
Christmas Tree ClusterNGC 2264Cluster with nebulosity3.911.4
NGC 2232NGC 2232Open cluster3.99.9
NGC 2239C 50 · NGC 2239Cluster with nebulosity4.89.3
M 50M 50 · NGC 2323Open cluster5.914.1
Great Bird ClusterNGC 2301Open cluster610.2
NGC 2343NGC 2343Open cluster6.77.5
NGC 2353NGC 2353Open cluster7.16.6
NGC 2335NGC 2335Open cluster7.28.7

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.