Messier 41

Messier 41
Open cluster Messier 41 in Canis Major
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension06h 46.0m [1]
Declination−20° 46′[1]
Distance2,360 ly[2] (725 pc)
Apparent magnitude (V)4.5[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)38 arcmin[3]
Physical characteristics
Radius12.5 ly
Estimated age200 million yrs[2]
Other designationsM41,[1] NGC 2287[1]
Associations
ConstellationCanis Major

Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. Located approximately four degrees south of Sirius, it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Sirius and Nu2 Canis Majoris, visible together in binoculars.[4] The cluster spans an area comparable to the size of the full moon and contains about 100 stars, including several red giants and white dwarfs.[4][5]

Discovery and history

Discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654, M41 may have been observed by Aristotle as early as 325 BC.[6] It is sometimes called the Little Beehive Cluster due to its resemblance to the Beehive Cluster (M44).[7]

Characteristics

The brightest star in M41 is a red giant of spectral type K3 with an apparent magnitude of 6.3 near the cluster's center.[8] The cluster has a diameter of 25–26 light-years (7.7–8.0 pc) and is receding from Earth at 23.3 km/s.[1] Estimates suggest an age of 190 million years, with a predicted lifespan of 500 million years before disintegration.[9]

Observation

Walter Scott Houston noted its appearance in small telescopes:[10]

Many visual observers speak of seeing curved lines of stars in M41. Although they seem inconspicuous on photographs, the curves stand out strongly in my 10-inch [reflecting telescope], and the bright red star near the center of the cluster is prominent.

The prominent red-orange central star, HIP 32406, is a K2-type giant of magnitude 6.9, located ~1,500 light-years away.[11]

  • Center 2MASS/NASA
    Center 2MASS/NASA
  • M41 in an 8" telescope
    M41 in an 8" telescope
  • Sirius and M41 (lower right), M50 (upper left), and NGC 2360 (lower left)
    Sirius and M41 (lower right), M50 (upper left), and NGC 2360 (lower left)
  • M41 finder chart
    M41 finder chart
  • Open cluster M41 taken from a 12-inch Dobson telescope in Viña del Mar
    Open cluster M41 taken from a 12-inch Dobson telescope in Viña del Mar

See also

References

[2]


  1. ^ a b c d e f "M 41". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
  2. ^ a b c Harris, G. (October 1993). "NGC 2287 - an important intermediate-age open cluster". The Astronomical Journal. 106 (4): 1533–1546. doi:10.1086/116748. ISSN 0004-6256.
  3. ^ "Messier Object 41". SEDS. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  4. ^ a b Kambic, Bojan (2009). Viewing the Constellations with Binoculars: 250+ Wonderful Sky Objects to See and Explore. New York, New York: Springer. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-387-85355-0.
  5. ^ Koester, D. Reimers, D. (1981), "Spectroscopic identification of white dwarfs in Galactic Clusters I. NGC2287 and NGC3532", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 99, L8-11
  6. ^ M41 possibly recorded by Aristotle
  7. ^ The Dog Star and the Little Beehive Cluster
  8. ^ De Laet, Rony (2011). The Casual Sky Observer's Guide: Stargazing with Binoculars and Small Telescopes. New York, New York: Springer. pp. 95–97. ISBN 978-1-4614-0595-5.
  9. ^ Stoyan, Ronald (2008). Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky. Cambridge University Press. p. 171. ISBN 9780521895545.
  10. ^ Houston, Walter Scott (2005). Deep-Sky Wonders. Sky Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-1-931559-23-2.
  11. ^ Dobbie, P, Day-Jones, A, Williams, K, Casewell, S, Burleigh, M, Lodieu, N, Parker, Q, Baxter, R, (2012), "Further investigation of white dwarfs in the open clusters NGC2287 and NGC3532", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 423, 2815–2828


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