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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M50

M50 Observation Details

M50

M50 Daily Motion


M50 will be visible until April, 20, 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.

M50 Visibility Timetable on December 21

Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Astrosession begin18:48-13°
M50 rise19:58
Moon Rise, 57% illuminated23:5036°
M50 transit01:2942°
Astrosession end06:139°
M50 set07:00
Moon Set12:24-55°

Track M50 Position Throughout the Night

← Sat, 21 December 2024 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M50 changing position in the night sky.

M50 - Open Cluster

M50 is an open cluster located in the constellation Monoceros. It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and independently by Charles Messier in 1772. The cluster contains a rich population of young, hot stars.

M50 spans about 20 light-years across and contains around 200 stars. The cluster is approximately 3,200 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 5.9, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M50 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M50 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M50 photo taken with red filter
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

M50 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

M50 color 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 M50

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Object nameM50
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M50 coordinates7.04458, -8.36403
Center coordinates7.04458, -8.36403

M50 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M50

Time11:59
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M50 elevation-52°
M50 Azimuth39°
Here you can see the current position of the M50 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M50's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M50

Time
DateSun, 22 December 2024
Twighlight start18:44
Twighlight end06:07
Twighlight duration11h 23m
Rise19:58
Set07:00
Elevation at transit42°
Transit time01:29
Equatorial coordinateRA: 07h 02m 40s", Dec: -8° 21' 50s
Magnitude6
ConstellationMonoceros
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M50, 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 M50 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.

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.