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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / NGC2264

Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC2264) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Christmas Tree Cluster right now?

Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC2264) is located in the constellation Monoceros. At the current time, it is below the horizon and not visible from your location.
Twilight begins at 16:57 local time, and at that moment, NGC2264 will appear at an altitude of 58 degrees toward the southwest.

NGC2264 Visibility on March 01

NGC2264 is visible from sunset through most of the night

NGC2264 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
NGC2264 rise	11:43
Moon Rise, 85.8% illuminated	13:13	18°
Sunset	15:59	49°
Civil sunset	16:27	54°
Astrosession begin	17:27	61°
NGC2264 transit	18:12	63°
NGC2264 set	00:42
Astrosession end	03:12	-27°
Moon Set	03:46	-32°

Track NGC2264 Position Throughout the Night

← Sun, 1 March 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe NGC2264 changing position in the night sky.

NGC2264 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

NGC2264 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter

These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for NGC2264

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Object name	NGC2264
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
NGC2264 coordinates	6.68285, 9.89547
Center coordinates	6.68285, 9.89547

NGC2264 Passage Through Night

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Current position of NGC2264

Time	06:13
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
NGC2264 elevation	-43°
NGC2264 Azimuth	0°

Here you can see the current position of the NGC2264 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the NGC2264's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of NGC2264

NGC2264 will be visible until May, 4, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

Date	Sun, 1 March 2026
Twighlight start	17:23
Twighlight end	03:06
Twighlight duration	10h 44m
Rise	11:39
Set	00:38
Elevation at transit	63°
Transit time	18:08
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 06h 40m 58s", Dec: 09° 53' 43s
Magnitude	4
Constellation	Monoceros

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a NGC2264, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the NGC2264 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of NGC2264

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	6.68285°
Declination	9.89547°
Magnitude	3.90
Constellation	Monoceros
Elevation	-42.7°
Azimuth	0.5°

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.

Observation Settings