Upper Sword is a cluster with nebula in Orion
Upper Sword (NGC 1981, MWSC 0579) is a cluster with nebula in the constellation Orion . It shines at magnitude 4.2 and spans 9′. It is visible to the naked eye from a dark site, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding Upper Sword from Alnitak
Alnitak
NGC 1981
ORION
Upper Sword lies 2.8° southwest of Alnitak , the magnitude 1.7 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Upper Sword is highest in the evening in January
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 62° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -68° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 75° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 73° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -74° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -75° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 75° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -62° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 40° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 86°N.
The distance to Upper Sword is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of Upper Sword
31 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 1975, nebula, 16′ NGC 1973, nebula, 18′ NGC 1977 Running Man Nebula, cluster with nebula, 25′ M43 De Mairan's Nebula, H II region, 51′ M42 Orion Nebula, cluster with nebula, 58′ NGC 1980 Lost Jewel of Orion, cluster with nebula, 1.5° NGC 1924, barred spiral galaxy, 2.0° NGC 1999, reflection nebula, 2.3°
Upper Sword catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Orion Designations NGC 1981, MWSC 0579 Type cluster with nebula Right ascension (J2000) 05h 35.2m Declination (J2000) -04° 26′ Magnitude 4.2 Apparent size 9′ Radial velocity 28 km/s Best with Naked eye Best month January Catalog page NGC 1501 to 2000
