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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
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All Constellations » 

Monoceros (The Unicorn) Constellation

Altitude: -16.3°   Azimuth: 288.7°   Direction: West-North-West

Monoceros (pronounced məˈnɒsɪrəs) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 43 degrees across the sky) situated close to the celestial equator. As such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Unicorn" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Mon" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Mono" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Monocerotis" (pronounced ˌmɒnəsɪˈroʊtɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Monocerotis (the brightest star of Monoceros based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Monocerotis (the 23th star in the constellation of Monoceros based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Monoceros is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
Available Resources for Monoceros

Sky Chart of Monoceros Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Monoceros constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Monoceros in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Monoceros Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's Monoceros rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 91.6°
Max altitude: 36.9°
Azimuth: 268.4°
Monoceros is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Monoceros actually is) these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Monoceros Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Monoceros constellation. See also the complete list of 151 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Monoceros. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR2970 α Monocerotis 3.93
HR2227 γ Monocerotis 3.98 Double;
HR2714 δ Monocerotis 4.15 Double;
HR3188 ζ Monocerotis 4.34 Multiple;
HR2298 ε Monocerotis 4.44 Multiple;
HR2506 18 Monocerotis 4.47
HR2385 13 Monocerotis 4.5
HR2456 15 Monocerotis 4.66 Variable; Multiple;
HR3141 28 Monocerotis 4.68 Variable;
HR2503 17 Monocerotis 4.77
HR2701 20 Monocerotis 4.92 Multiple;
HR3122 27 Monocerotis 4.93
HR2128 3 Monocerotis 4.95 Double;
HR2648 19 Monocerotis 4.99 Variable;
HR2108 2 Monocerotis 5.03
HR2205 5.05
HR2344 10 Monocerotis 5.06 Multiple;
HR2508 5.07 Variable;
HR2395 5.1
HR2927 25 Monocerotis 5.13 Variable; Multiple;
...go to the complete list of 151 bright stars in the constellation of Monoceros

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Monoceros Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Monoceros constellation. See also the complete list of 61 deep sky objects in the constellation of Monoceros. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 2232 Open Cluster 3.9 (V)
NGC 2264 (Christmas Tree Cluster) Star Cluster + Nebula 3.9 (V)
NGC 2239 Star Cluster + Nebula 4.8 (V)
Messier 50 Open Cluster 5.9 (V)
NGC 2301 (Great Bird Cluster) Open Cluster 6 (V)
NGC 2238 (Rosette Nebula) HII Ionized region 6 (B)
NGC 2343 Open Cluster 6.7 (V)
NGC 2353 Open Cluster 7.1 (V)
NGC 2335 Open Cluster 7.2 (V)
NGC 2251 Open Cluster 7.3 (V)
NGC 2286 Open Cluster 7.5 (V)
NGC 2506 Open Cluster 7.6 (V)
NGC 2252 Open Cluster 7.7 (V)
IC 447 HII Ionized region 7.7 (B)
NGC 2324 Open Cluster 8.4 (V)
NGC 2215 Open Cluster 8.45 (V)
NGC 2247 Reflection Nebula 8.5 (B)
NGC 2236 Open Cluster 8.5 (V)
...go to the complete list of 61 deep sky objects in the constellation of Monoceros