Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46 (Steven Bellavia)

Celestial hemisphere: Northern · Constellation: Monoceros (Mon) · Contains: Hubble's Nebula · NGC 2261

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Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46

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Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46

NGC 2261, Caldwell 46, is called Hubble's Variable Nebula, Discovered by Sir William Herschel in 1783 . It is a fascinating reflection nebula 2,500 light years away, in the constellation Monoceros and associated with the variable star R Monocerotis. The nebula varies in brightness by as much as two magnitudes with no predictable timetable – perhaps due to dark masses shadowing the star. One explanation proposed for the variability is that dense clouds of dust near R Mon periodically block the illumination from the star.

This object was First Light for Palomar Observatory's 200-inch Hale Telescope, and was imaged by Edwin Hubble on January 26, 1949, some 20 years after the Palomar Observatory project began in 1928

It is visible in small telescopes, even from suburban areas. However, a larger telescope in a dark sky will reveal many details.

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Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46

Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46

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Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46

Hubble's Variable nebula, NGC 2261, Caldwell 46

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