Messier 41
Open cluster in the constellation Canis Major
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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]
| Messier 41 | |
|---|---|
Open cluster Messier 41 in Canis Major | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 06h 46.0m [1] |
| Declination | −20° 46′[1] |
| Distance | 2,360 ly[2] (725 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.5[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 38 arcmin[3] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 12.5 ly |
| Estimated age | 200 million yrs[2] |
| Other designations | M41,[1] NGC 2287[1] |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Canis Major |
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]
