Open cluster · Monoceros
NGC 2301 Hagrid's Dragon Cluster
mag 6.010′ across
About
NGC 2301, the Hagrid's Dragon Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 6.0 in Monoceros, about 10′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 2301 is in the constellation Monoceros.
- Best evenings: around mid-February it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 80° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesA faint smudge at the limit of vision, only from a dark site.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small knot of stars, partly resolved.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Dozens of stars, many sharp and some coloured.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 2301 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 6.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 10′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 06h 51m 45.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +00° 27′ 33″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →