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b

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c MONOCEROS

Procyon

M50

NGC 2506

Spend some time observing

the Unicorn’s wonders.

by Michael E. Bakich

MONOCEROS

If

you’ve never traced the outline

of Monoceros the Unicorn,

you’re not alone. It ranks as the

35th-largest out of the 88 constella-

tions, and its area of sky is easy to

find. Most of the figure lies within the

boundaries of the Winter Triangle: the

stars Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Procyon.

But actually tracing the figure can

be difficult. Monoceros contains no

named stars and no star ranked in the

“top 200” by brightness.

What this constellation lacks in

luminaries, however, it more than

compensates by way of deep-sky

objects. Indeed, most amateur astrono-

mers who explore its boundaries will

immediately recognize the Cone

Nebula (with the associated Christmas

Tree Cluster), the Seagull Nebula,

Hubble’s Variable Nebula, and, of

course, the stunning Rosette Nebula.

As our finder chart shows, however,

you can experience a lot more than just

these celestial wonders. Dress warmly,

head to a dark site, let your scope cool,

and begin your exploration of a con-

stellation I’m sure you’ll want to get to

know better.

Beta (β) Monocerotis

Here’s a star you won’t tire of

observing. It’s a close triple

star whose magnitudes are

4.7, 5.2, and 6.1. Astronomers

refer to them as the A, B, and C

components, respectively. The

separations are A–B = 7"; B–C

= 3"; A–C = 10". All three stars

appear white. JEREMY PEREZ

The Heart-Shaped Cluster (M50)

This grouping of distant suns is Monoceros’

only Messier object. At magnitude 5.9,

sharp-eyed observers under a dark sky

can spot this open cluster with their naked

eyes. Through a small telescope at 100x,

you’ll count 50 stars in an area 16' across.

The brightest glows at 8th magnitude, and

many more 8th- to 10th-magnitude stars

form curving chains within the cluster.

RICHARD MCCOY

Meandering through

Michael E. Bakich is a senior editor

of Astronomy. His first book was The

Cambridge Guide to the Constellations.