NGC 2281
Open cluster in the northern constellation of Auriga / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NGC 2281, also known as the Broken Heart Cluster,[6] is an open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Auriga. It was discovered by English astronomer William Herschel on March 4, 1788, and described as a, "cluster of coarsely scattered pretty [bright] stars, pretty rich".[7] The Trumpler class for NGC 2281 is I3p, indicating a poor (p) but compact (I) grouping with a wide range of brightness (3).[8] It is located at a distance of approximately 1,720 ly from the Sun and is 630–661 million years old.[2]
Quick Facts Observation data (J2000 epoch), Right ascension ...
NGC 2281 | |
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Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Right ascension | 06h 48m 17.(0)s[1] |
Declination | +41° 04′ 4(2)″[1] |
Distance | 1,722+104 −91 ly (528+32 −28 pc[2]) |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.4[3] |
Apparent dimensions (V) | 25′[3] |
Physical characteristics | |
Estimated age | 610[4] million |
Other designations | Cr 116, Mel 51, C0645+411, OCL-446[5] |
Associations | |
Constellation | Auriga |
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters |
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