Observer's guide
About NGC 2244
NGC 2244 (C50) is catalogued as an open cluster in Monoceros. Its J2000 position is RA 06:31:55, Dec +04:56:30, corresponding to 98.045 degrees RA and 4.9139 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 4,900 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 88 by 88 arcminutes.
Observing tips
This is rated as a very easy target at magnitude 4.8. It is associated with winter observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around December. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 42.9 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Its brightness makes it a practical binocular or small-telescope candidate when it is well above the horizon.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is OpC. A published radial velocity value is 33.6 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 678 bibliographic references.
At roughly 88 arcminutes across, it favors a wide-field imaging setup. Use the listed 88 by 88 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.