Constellation tour in Winter
Monoceros (The Unicorn)


Date & Time: Dec 29 2002, 24:20 JST(+0900), 20min. Exp.
Optical: SMC TAKUMAR f=105mm F2.4, Aperture: F4.0, with cokin Diffuser-1 filter
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI JP Equatorial
Camera: PENTAX 67
Film: Ektachrome E200 (+1EV pushed)
Location: Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.




ASCII/Astroarts StellaNavigator 		The constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn, is often overlooked in the Winter's Great Triangle that is formed by Betelgeuse, Sirius, and Procyon. "Unicorn" is an imaginary animal looks like a horse with a long corn at its head. The constellation was newly established by Bartsch in 17th century.
It might be hard to trace the figure of the beast in the fine Milky Way. But Monoceros includes a few splendid deep sky objects, and it's the Rosette Nebula at the head of the list found around the head of the Unicorn. The nebula is very photogenic; you can see that in this picture.



Guide for Deep Sky Objects

Rosette Nebula .....Splendid Diffused Nebula around the head of Mon., 3600 ly. away
Vast Nebulosities around Corn Nebula .....Open cluster NGC2264 around S Mon. & surrounding dimmed gaseous region
Wide field around Rosette Nebula .....The distribution of faint gas between 2 bodies above
Southern region of Rosette Nebula .....The distribution of small diffused nebulae south of Rosette Nebula
NGC2264 & Corn Nebula .....Central field of above, NGC2264 & dimmed nebula of southern neighbor
Hubble's Variable Nebula .....Small reflection nebula surrounds a variable star of R mon
Sea-gull Nebula IC2177 .....Dimmed & vast diffused nebula around the boundary on Canis Major
vdB93 .....A round diffused nebula at the head of Seagull Nebula
M50 .....Open cluster near the border to Canis Major, 2600 ly. away
Around NGC2182 .....Group of compact reflection nebulae in edge of SW
NGC2301 .....Medium-sized open cluster bathed in the Milky Way, 2470 ly. away
NGC2316 .....A small reflection nebula 1 deg. NW of M50 in southern region
NGC2346 .....Small planetary nebula in 40' southwest of delta Mon.
NGC2353 .....Small open cluster near boundary on Canis Major
IC2169 .....Elliptic reflection nebula just west of NGC2264
Sh2-280 .....Fine diffused nebula just south of Rosette nebula
Sh2-282 .....Small reddish nebula floating 4deg south of Rosette Nebula
Sh2-284 .....A dimmed diffused nebula in center of Great Triangle in winter
Red Rectangle .....Small proto-planetary nebula near a boundary on Canis Major, 2300 ly away




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