---
title: "NGC 2346"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2346"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 2346 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2346"
---

# NGC 2346

NGC 2346 is a planetary [nebula](https://spacecatalog.org/nebulae) in the constellation [Monoceros](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/monoceros), 1369 parsecs from Earth as published by Stanghellini+ 2008 (about 4465 ly, converted by SpaceCatalog), shining at apparent magnitude 11.60 (V). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J07092302-0048334, HD 293373 and HIP 34541, among 6 designations in total. It was discovered in 1790.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Planetary nebula
- **HOW FAR:** 4465 ly — The light arriving now left it that long ago.
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 52″ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 11.60 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Monoceros](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/monoceros) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Planetary nebula |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 1369 pc (Stanghellini+ 2008) — ≈ 4465 ly, converted by SpaceCatalog · by Statistical distance scale for planetary nebulae (Stanghellini+ 2008) |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 11.60 |
| CONSTELLATION | Monoceros |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 07h 09m 23.0s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −00° 48′ 32.9″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1790 |

## Catalogue data

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 11.80 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.60 |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | 10.26 |
| Apparent magnitude (H band) | 9.44 |
| Apparent magnitude (K) | 8.41 |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Radial velocity | 47 km/s |
| Redshift (z) | 0.000157 |
| Major axis | 0.87′ |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | William Herschel |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Also known as | Butterfly Nebula |
| OpenNGC type code | PN |
| Wikidata item | Q841138 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 2346 |

### WHERE THESE FIGURES CAME FROM

Which catalogue, paper or model each of the fields above was read from, where the source named one.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Distance catalogue entry | NGC 2346 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J07092302-0048334
- HD: HD 293373
- HIP: HIP 34541
- IRAS: IRAS 07068-0043
- NGC: NGC 2346
- PN: PN G215.6+03.6

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. NGC 2346 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2346

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-2346,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 2346}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2346},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2346