It is uncertain who introduced Monoceros into the night sky, but it is known that it happened somtime in the 17th Century.

Monoceros lies in the middle of the hemishperes over a section of the Milky Way.

It contains several objects of interest and beauty.

Lets start with one of the finest nebula in the sky, the Rosette Nebula NGC 2237. Long exposure photographs show a nebula with a diameter twice that of the moon. A 10 inch telescope will show the brightest sections of the nebula. Over lapping the Nebula is the open cluster NGC 2244 which has most likely been created from the dust of the Rosette Nebula. They lie at approximately 5500 light years away.

There is another nebula just to the north that is a good reward for telescopes. It is called the Cone Nebula, with a long exposure photography and a good telescope youshould be able to clearly see the cone like structure move out from the middle of the nebula.

Also worth finding is M50, an open cluster lying about 3000 light years away. A large telescope will resolve the central stars showing a red star at the core.

Also look for NGC 2301 just to the right of delta Monocerotis, an open cluster of more than 70 stars. A pair of binoculars should show it quiet well.