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NGC 1980 — Emission Nebula in Orion

Emission Nebula Showpiece (79/100)
Magnitude 2.5m EmissionNebula Orion (Ori) Visible
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1Properties

Magnitude 2.50
Angular Size 9.3′
vF, vvL, 44 Ori inv

Position & Identifiers

RA 05h 35m 26.0s
Dec -05° 54' 35.6"
Constellation Orion (Ori)
Catalog NGC 1980

2How easy to spot?

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Telescope Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
80mm refr. Medium+ Medium+ Medium+
150mm Newt. Medium+ Medium+ Medium+
C8 203mm Medium+ Medium+ Medium+
Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

With O-III filter

Telescope Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
80mm refr. Easy Easy Easy
150mm Newt. Easy Easy Easy
C8 203mm Easy Easy Easy
Easy on Seestar S50

3Visibility

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Best season Nov – Jan (peak: Dec)

4 Filter Response Guide

5 Eyepiece View

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125x TFOV: 0.4° Lim. mag: 13.6
N E

NGC 1980 · 9.3′×9.3′ · N up, E left

Explore

6 Surface Brightness

Nearby in the Sky

Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.

Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.

Nair al Saif
HIP 26241; Iota Orionis; 44 Orionis
Easy
Easy double, sep 11.2″
Double Star mag 2.77 0.0° Orion
M42
Great Orion Nebula
Easy
Emission nebula — try an OIII filter
Emission Nebula mag 4.0 0.5° Orion
Theta Ori
HIP 26221; Theta1 Orionis; 41 Orionis
Easy
Hot blue O-type star
Star mag 5.13 0.5° Orion
M43
NGC 1982
Easy
Emission nebula — try an OIII filter
Emission Nebula mag 9.0 0.6° Orion
NGC 1999
Medium
Reflection nebula around a bright star
Reflection Nebula mag 9.50 0.8° Orion
NGC 1973
Medium+
Diffuse nebula
Diffuse Nebula mag 7.00 1.2° Orion
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