Monoceros

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Monoceros
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Abbreviation	Mon
Genitive	Monocerotis
Symbology	the Unicorn
Right ascension	7.15 h
Declination	−5.74°
Area	482 sq. deg. Ranked 35th
Number of stars (Bayer-Flamsteed)	0
Number of bright stars (magnitude < 3)	{{{numberbrightstars}}}
Number of nearby stars (Distance < 100 ly)	{{{numbernearbystars}}}
Brightest star	{{{brighteststarname}}} (App. magnitude 3.93)
Nearest Star	{{{neareststarname}}} (Distance: {{{stardistance}}})
Meteor showers	December Monocerids Alpha Monocerids
Bordering constellations	Canis Major Canis Minor Gemini Hydra Lepus Orion Puppis
Visible at latitudes between +75° and −85° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of February

Monoceros (IPA: /məˈnɒsərəs/, Greek: unicorn) is a faint constellation on the winter night sky, surrounded by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east. Other bordering constellations include Canis Minor, Lepus and Puppis.

1 Notable features
2 Notable deep sky objects
3 History
4 mythology
5 Stars
6 External links

[edit] Notable features

Monoceros is an almost invisible constellation, with only a few fourth magnitude stars. Alpha Monocerotis has a visual magnitude of 3.93, slightly brighter than Gamma Monocerotis, which has a visual magnitude of 3.98.

But Monoceros does have some interesting features to observe with the aid of a small telescope. Beta Monocerotis is an impressive triple star system, the three stars form a triangle which seems to be fixed. The visual magnitudes of the stars are 4.7, 5.2 and 6.1. William Herschel discovered it in 1781 and commented it as 'one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens'.

Epsilon Monocerotis is a fixed binary, with visual magnitudes of 4.5 and 6.5.

S Monocerotis, or 15 Monocerotis, is a bluish white variable star and is located at the center of NGC 2264. However the variation of its magnitude is not too great. It has a companion star of visual magnitude 8.

V838 Monocerotis had an outburst starting on January 6, 2002.

[edit] Notable deep sky objects

Monoceros contains many clusters and nebulae, most notable among them;

M50, an open cluster
The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237-9,46), a diffuse nebula
The Christmas Tree Cluster and associated Cone Nebula (NGC 2264)

[edit] History

Monoceros is a modern constellation, generally supposed to be named by the Dutch astronomer and theologian Petrus Plancius in 1613 and have been charted by Jakob Bartsch as Unicornus in his star chart of 1624; but Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers and Ludwig Ideler indicate the constellation is actually much older, as "the second horse south of the Twins and the Crab", with it appearing in works as early at 1564, and Joseph Scaliger is reported to have found it on an ancient Persian sphere.

[edit] mythology

Since Monoceros is supposedly a modern constellation, it has no classical mythology associated to it yet. However, in medieval mythology, the unicorn is a mythical animal, which resembles a horse but bears a single, spiral horn on its forehead. Its horn is commonly believed to be able to cure poison. This animal is said to be uncatchable, and is often depicted in ancient lore.