NGC 1980
Open cluster in the constellation Orion
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NGC 1980 (also known as OCL 529, Collinder 72 and The Lost Jewel of Orion[6]) is a young open cluster associated with an emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by William Herschel on 31 January 1786.[7] Its apparent size is 14 × 14 arc minutes and it is located around the star Iota Orionis on the southern tip of the Orion constellation.[4][8]
| NGC 1980 | |
|---|---|
The Orion Nebula M42 with NGC 1980 on the right (right is south) | |
| Observation data (J2000.0 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 05h 25m 26.0s[1] |
| Declination | −05° 54′ 36″[1] |
| Distance | 1793 ly[2] (550 pc[2]) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 2.5[3] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 14.00 x 14.0[4] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Estimated age | 4.7 million |
| Other designations | Lower Sword,[5] Collinder 72, OCL 529, WH V 31 |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Orion |
Herschel made his first observation of the cluster which was called WH V 31 on 31 January 1786, but he possibly observed it during his studies of double stars on 20 September 1783.[7]
