Hubble's Nebula
Scientific overview
Hubble's Nebula is a reflection nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It shines at apparent magnitude 11.85 and spans about 2 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 · V* R Mon
| Distance | 2,609 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 1.518001 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 0.759 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 572.200012 ± 0.170877 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 99.791476 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 8.735983 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2006ApJ...653..657M · catalogued value · source value 800 pc · 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
- Physical size (minor 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 · 2020AJ....160..120J · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · 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 Monoceros
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Tree ClusterNGC 2264 | Cluster with nebulosity | 3.9 | 11.4 |
| NGC 2232NGC 2232 | Open cluster | 3.9 | 9.9 |
| NGC 2239C 50 · NGC 2239 | Cluster with nebulosity | 4.8 | 9.3 |
| M 50M 50 · NGC 2323 | Open cluster | 5.9 | 14.1 |
| Great Bird ClusterNGC 2301 | Open cluster | 6 | 10.2 |
| Rosette NebulaC 49 · NGC 2238 | H II region | 6 | 80 |
| NGC 2343NGC 2343 | Open cluster | 6.7 | 7.5 |
| NGC 2353NGC 2353 | Open cluster | 7.1 | 6.6 |
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.