Open Cluster in Puppis
This is a rich and bright open cluster that would probably get more attention if it were not so low in the sky for observers at mid-northern latitudes. From here in Conneciticut it never gets more than about 10 degrees above the southern horizon. Still, the cluster contains several hundred stars in an area about half trhe diameter of the full Moon, and it is an attractive sight.
| Magnitude | 5.8 |
| Apparent Size | 15' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 4400 |
| Right Ascension | 7:52.2 |
| Declination | -38 31 |
Image details: Exposure times of 8 minutes each of luminance, red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG STF-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/5.5.
March 2021