RCW 7 is an emission nebula and cluster in Puppis, 4,080 light-years away
RCW 7 (NGC 2409) is an emission nebula and cluster in the constellation Puppis , 4,080 light-years away. spans 17′ of sky, about 20 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 RCW 7 from Sirius
Sirius
RCW 7
PUPPIS
RCW 7 lies 11.1° east of Sirius , the magnitude -1.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
RCW 7 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: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -64° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 27° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -72° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -70° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -76° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -74° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 39° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 67° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -68° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -67° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 47° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 76° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 74° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -58° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 76° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 73° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 71° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 65° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -31° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 23° 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 73°N, and never sets south of 73°S.
RCW 7 is 4,080 light-years away
The light seen from RCW 7 tonight left it about 4,080 years ago. It ranks 11 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of RCW 7
NGC 2440, planetary nebula, 2.7° M47, open cluster, 3.0° M46, open cluster, 3.4° NGC 2438, planetary nebula, 3.5° NGC 2423, open cluster, 3.6° NGC 2421, open cluster, 3.6° C58, open cluster, 3.7° RCW 14 Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree, open cluster, 5.4°
RCW 7 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 2409 Type emission nebula and cluster Constellation Puppis Right ascension (J2000) 07h 31.6m Declination (J2000) -17° 12′ Apparent size 17′ True size 20 light-years Distance 4,080 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 7
