Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Monoceros (Mon)  ·  Contains:  LBN 1023  ·  VdB87
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vdB 87, Gary Imm
vdB 87, Gary Imm

vdB 87

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
vdB 87, Gary Imm
vdB 87, Gary Imm

vdB 87

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Description

This small interesting reflection and emission nebula is located 1500 light years away in the constellation of Monoceros at a declination of -9 degrees.  It spans 5 arc-minutes in our apparent view.  This corresponds to a width of 2 light years.

This small region has numerous obscure designations for its various components, including an open star cluster (CC04), emission nebula (BFS 64), dark nebula (Dobashi 5043), molecular cloud (G221.88716-02.03011), and young star objects.  I like the sharp cloud silhouette at 4 o'clock.

vdB 87 is less than 1 degree southwest of M50, as shown here:

Messier 50


Sidney van den Bergh published his vdB catalog of reflection nebulae in 1966. It was later expanded by one for a total of 159. The collection encompassed all reflection nebulosity visible on the Palomar Sky Survey north of -33 degrees latitude.  My Astrobin vdB Collection, which is about 80% complete, is here.

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