NGC 2261
Encyclopedia
NGC 2261 is a variable nebula
located in the constellation
Monoceros
. It is illuminated by the star R Monocerotis
(R Mon), which is not directly visible itself.
NGC 2261 was imaged as Palomar Observatory
's Hale Telescope
's first light by Edwin Hubble
on January 26, 1949, some 20 years after the Palomar Observatory project began in 1928. Hubble had studied the nebula previously at Yerkes
and Mt. Wilson
.
One explanation proposed for the variability is that dense clouds of dust near R Mon periodically block the illumination from the star.
Variable nebula
Variable nebulae are reflection nebulae that change in brightness because of changes in their star....
located in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Monoceros
Monoceros
Monoceros is a faint constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Greek for unicorn. Its definition is attributed to the 17th-century Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius. It is bordered by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east...
. It is illuminated by the star R Monocerotis
R Monocerotis
R Monocerotis is a T Tauri variable in the constellation Monoceros. The apparent magnitude of R Mon varies between 10 and 12.The star is located in a diffuse nebula called "Hubble's Variable Nebula"...
(R Mon), which is not directly visible itself.
NGC 2261 was imaged as Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is a privately owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory, in the Palomar Mountain Range. At approximately elevation, it is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology...
's Hale Telescope
Hale telescope
The Hale Telescope is a , 3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, he orchestrated the planning, design, and construction of the observatory, but did not live to see its commissioning...
's first light by Edwin Hubble
Edwin Hubble
Edwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer who profoundly changed the understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way - our own galaxy...
on January 26, 1949, some 20 years after the Palomar Observatory project began in 1928. Hubble had studied the nebula previously at Yerkes
Yerkes
Yerkes is a surname, and may refer to:* Charles Yerkes , American financier* Robert Yerkes , American psychologist, ethologist, and primatologist* Steve Yerkes , American baseball playerYerkes may also refer to:...
and Mt. Wilson
Mount Wilson Observatory
The Mount Wilson Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a 5,715 foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles...
.
One explanation proposed for the variability is that dense clouds of dust near R Mon periodically block the illumination from the star.
External links
- European Homepage for the HST – Hubble photos and information on NGC 2261
- wikispaces.com – Images by amateur astronomers