NGC 2023 (RN)
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05h 41m 37.0s | -02° 15′ 58.9″ | 10.0′ | 7.8 | 12.3 | I, VBR | RN | -- | -- |
Background
NGC 2023 is a large reflection nebula in Orion, 15' across, illuminated by the magnitude 7.8 Be-type star HD 37903. Lying about 15' northeast of the Horsehead Nebula (B 33) and embedded in the same Orion B molecular cloud complex at 1,300 light-years, it is one of the largest reflection nebulae known. The bluish dust cloud shines by scattered light from HD 37903 and shows fine structure on deep imaging. Discovered by William Herschel in 1785.
My Observing Notes
56-cm (Club 22-inch f/3.5 “Lord Sidious”): Centred just below the Horsehead, with Alnitak pushed out of the FOV to reduce glare. With the 31 mm Nagler (90×, 0.91^\circ TFOV) and no filter, immediately picked up a dully illuminated nebula stretching across the FOV with a distinctive curved silhouette in the middle. Higher magnification plus blinking with the UHC filter helped bring out the shape further. A chain of stars sitting above the nebula served as a useful star-hop confirmation that B 33 was in the same field.(11 April 2026)
References
Charts
