| NGC 2023 | |
|---|---|
NGC 2023 picture created from multiple images taken with the Wide Field Camera of Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. |
|
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Type | Reflection and Emission |
| Right ascension | 05h 41m 37.9s[1] |
| Declination | −02° 15′ 52″ |
| Distance | 1467.7 ly |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 10′x10′ |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Other designations | NGC 2023 , LBN 954, VDB 52, [XT95] 6, GN 05.39.1.02, RAFGL 806, [NYS99] C-23, IRAS 05391-0217, RX J0541.8-0217, [RK68] 38 |
| See also: Diffuse nebula, Lists of nebulae | |
The reflection nebula NGC 2023 is in the constellation Orion. It is one of the brightest sources of fluorescent molecular hydrogen, and at 4 light-years wide it is one of the largest in the sky. It is powered by the B star (B1.5) HD 37903, the most luminous member of a cluster of young stellar objects illuminating the front surface of the Lynds 1630 molecular cloud (Barnard 33) in Orion B.
NGC 2023 forms a cavity in the surface of the cloud, some 450 parsecs from Earth. It produces a bright visual reflection nebula and an ultraviolet-excited photodissociation region. It is about a third of a degree from the Horsehead Nebula and is often included (but not indicated) in images of that object.
| Astronomical catalogs | ||
|---|---|---|
| NGC: | NGC 2021 - NGC 2022 - NGC 2023 - NGC 2024 - NGC 2025 | |
Coordinates: 05h 41m 37.9s, +02° 15′ 52″