Messier 41

Open cluster in Canis Major

Messier 41 is a very large and bright open cluster lying about 3 degrees south of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It is not hard to see with the naked eye in a dark sky. Because of its large size, it is best viewed with either binoculars or a telescope with a wide-angle eyepiece.

Magnitude	4.5
Apparent Size	38'
Distance (light yrs)	2,300
Right Ascension	6:46.0
Declination	-20 46

Image details: 13 images, each 60 seconds at ISO 1600, taken with a Canon 400D camera and a Tokina 500-mm lens.

March 2010