NGC 2423

NGC 2423 is an intermediate-age, open cluster located in the constellation Puppis. Open clusters contain thousands of stars all formed from the same giant molecular cloud at about the same time. In an effort to study open clusters and further understand their makeup as part of my FYRE assignment, this star cluster was chosen. Using […]

NGC 2129 – A FASCINATING OBJECT IN THE NIGHT SKY

NGC 2129 is an open star cluster located in the constellation Gemini. It is a relatively young cluster, estimated to be around 40 million years old, and contains several dozen stars. The cluster is located at a distance of about 3,000 light-years from Earth and has a visual magnitude of 7.2, which means it is […]

NGC 2818

NGC 2818 is an intermediate age open star cluster that is located in the southern constellation Pyxis (also known as The Compass). Within NGC 2818 lies a planetary nebula. Since open clusters usually disperse over hundreds of millions of years, it is very rare to find an open cluster that is actually old enough for […]

NGC 5286

NGC 5286 is a very old globular cluster in the milky way galaxy, its estimated to be one of the oldest globular clusters with an age around 12.5 billion years old. It’s located around 36,000 light years away in the southern hemisphere in one of the largest constellations, Centaurus. It was discovered by Scottish astronomer […]

NGC 2168

NGC 2168, also known as Messier 35 or M35, is an open star cluster located in the northern constellation Gemini. It was first discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and later independently discovered by John Bevis in 1750. The cluster is estimated to be around 150 million years old and contains over 500 […]

NGC 2112

NGC 2112 A developing star cluster called NGC 2112 can be found in the constellation of Orion. About 70 stars make up the cluster, many of which are bright and blue in hue. It is thought to be about 100 million years ancient and was first found by William Herschel in 1784. Gaia measurements were […]

NGC 2516: The Southern Beehive

Many star clusters observable with the naked eye rest in the sky today. One such open cluster idling south of the celestial equator is NGC 2516. The young age cluster NGC 2516 can be found within the Southern Hemisphere’s Carina constellation. Originally discovered by the 1751 French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille while on the African Cape […]

NGC 2659

NGC 2659 is a young open cluster in the Vela constellation. NGC 2659 was discovered by John Herschel on the 3rd of February 1835. The cluster is approximately 1.7 kpc away at the coordinates 08 42 36 44 59 00. The core of the cluster is approximately 1.93 parsec in diameter or around 6.3 light […]

NGC 2302

NGC 2302 is a young open cluster located in the constellation of Monoceros. NGC 2302 has a magnitude of 8.90 and because of its position on the celestial equator this cluster is partly visible in both hemispheres. This open cluster has actually been discovered multiple times and has also been cataloged as NGC 2299, It […]

NGC 3960

NGC 3960 is an open cluster located in the constellation of Centaurus. Its age is estimated to be intermediate, and it was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop in 1834. Notably, NGC 3960 is located at a distance of approximately 7,360 light-years from the solar system and has an apparent size of 7.0 arcminutes, making […]