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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / NGC2281

NGC2281 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is NGC2281 right now?

NGC2281 is located in the constellation Auriga. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 12° toward the north-east, with an apparent magnitude of 5.40.
Twilight begins at 20:57 local time. At that moment, NGC2281 will be 12° above the horizon toward the north-east.

Open the interactive guide to NGC2281’s position and path tonight

NGC2281 visibility on 2026-10-17

NGC2281 Visible from before midnight until sunrise

NGC2281 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 25.9% illuminated	11:16	14°
Astronomical observing session begins	17:55	-8°
NGC2281 rise	19:26
Moonset	20:29	8°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:51	84°
NGC2281 transit	04:11	86°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:21	86°
Civil sunrise	04:51	81°
Sunrise	05:19	76°

Track NGC2281 position throughout the night

← 17 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe NGC2281 changing position in the night sky.

NGC2281 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

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

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

Finder Chart for NGC2281

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	NGC2281
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
NGC2281 coordinates	6.80496, 41.07886
Center coordinates	6.80496, 41.07886

NGC2281 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of NGC2281

Time	20:57
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	12°
Azimuth	47°

Here you can see the current position of NGC2281 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

When Is NGC2281 Visible Throughout the Year?

NGC2281 will remain visible until May 22, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Sun, 18 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	17:54
Astronomical observing session ends	03:49
Astronomical observing duration	10h 55m
Rise	19:22
Set	12:53
Elevation at transit	86°
Transit time	04:07
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 06h 48m 17s", Dec: 41° 04' 43s
Magnitude	5
Constellation	Auriga

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of NGC2281, including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also see when NGC2281 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of NGC2281

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	06h 48m 18s
Declination	41° 04′ 44″
Magnitude	5.4
Constellation	Auriga
Elevation	11.7°
Azimuth	46.7°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

Observation Settings