Observe
1Properties
Magnitude
8.8
Angular Size
3.6′
Cl, pS, mC, iR, gbM, st 13...15
Querying SIMBAD database...
Position & Identifiers
2How easy to spot?
Sign in
and configure your equipment and default location to see a personalized row.
| Telescope | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mm refractor 80mm refr. | Easy | Easy | Medium+ |
| 150 mm Newton 150mm Newt. | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Easy
Medium
Hard
Very hard
Impossible
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
Medium
on Seestar S50
3Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
Best season
Dec – Feb
(peak: Jan)
4
Eyepiece View
5
Best Magnification
Explore
6
Classification Decoder
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.
IC 2395
Rich open cluster
Open Cluster
mag 4.6
1.0°
Vela
NGC 2645
Open cluster
Open Cluster
mag 7.32
1.2°
Vela
NGC 2670
Open cluster
Open Cluster
mag 7.8
1.7°
Vela
NGC 2659
Open cluster
Open Cluster
mag 8.6
2.2°
Vela
AH Vel
Pulsating variable, period 4.2d
Variable Star
mag 5.76
5.3°
Vela
NGC 2640
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy
mag 11.02
8.0°
Carina
Explore Nightbase
Related knowledge, tools, and stories — no observation planning required.
The Life of Stars
From birth in a nebula to spectacular death — how stars are born, shine, swell, and die, and how to read the clues in their starlight.
Article
Vela
Mythology, bright stars, and deep-sky highlights.
Constellation
Saturn
Rings, divisions, and the jewel of the outer Solar System.
Deep dive