Parrot Nebula is a reflection nebula in Canis Major, 3,600 light-years away
Parrot Nebula (RCW 1, NGC 2327, Ced 89b) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Canis Major , 3,600 light-years away. spans 2.5° of sky, about 157 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
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 Parrot Nebula from Sirius
Sirius
RCW 1
CANIS MAJOR
Parrot Nebula lies 7.1° northeast of Sirius , the magnitude -1.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Parrot Nebula is highest in the evening in February
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -70° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 58° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -79° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -83° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -67° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 77° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -76° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 84° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 80° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 67° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 71° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 63° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -48° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -0° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 55° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -38° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 25° 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 79°N, and never sets south of 79°S.
Parrot Nebula is 3,600 light-years away
The light seen from Parrot Nebula tonight left it about 3,600 years ago. It ranks 7 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of Parrot Nebula
NGC 2343, open cluster, 1.2° NGC 2335, open cluster, 1.4° NGC 2353, open cluster, 2.8° M50 Heart-Shaped Cluster, open cluster, 3.0° C58, open cluster, 5.4° RCW 4, emission nebula (H II region), 5.6°
Parrot Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations RCW 1, NGC 2327, Ced 89b Type reflection nebula Constellation Canis Major Right ascension (J2000) 07h 04.1m Declination (J2000) -11° 19′ Apparent size 2.5° True size 157 light-years Distance 3,600 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 1
