Constellations · Constellation · Monocerotis · Mon
Constellation
Monoceros
The unicorn, drawn in 1612 across a patch of Milky Way between Orion and the dogs. Its stars are faint; its nebulae are famous.
- Genitive
- Monocerotis
- Area
- 482 square degrees · 35th of 88
- Brightest star
- · magnitude 3.76
- Naked-eye stars
- 139 brighter than magnitude 6.5
- Highest at midnight
- mid January
History
Petrus Plancius put it on a globe; biblical unicorns were then taken as real animals.
Look for
The Rosette Nebula wraps a cluster in a wreath of glowing hydrogen; a camera catches the petals. Nearby is the Christmas Tree Cluster.