Template:Short description {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. It is sometimes referred to as the Little Beehive Cluster.<ref>The Dog Star and the Little Beehive Cluster</ref> It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and was perhaps known to Aristotle about 325 BC.<ref>M41 possibly recorded by Aristotle</ref> It lies about four degrees almost exactly south of Sirius, with which it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Nu2 Canis Majoris to the west—all three figure in the same field in binoculars.<ref name="kambic09"/>
The cluster covers an area about the size of the full moon.<ref name="kambic09">Template:Cite book</ref> It contains about 100 stars, including several red giants the brightest of which has spectral type K3, apparent magnitude 6.3 and is near the center, and some white dwarfs.<ref>Koester, D. Reimers, D. (1981), "Spectroscopic identification of white dwarfs in Galactic Clusters I. NGC2287 and NGC3532", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 99, L8-11</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>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</ref> The cluster is estimated to be moving away from us at 23.3 km/s.<ref name="simbad"> Template:Cite simbad</ref> The diameter of the cluster is Template:Convert. It is estimated to be 190 million years old, and cluster properties and dynamics suggest a total life expectancy of 500 million years for this cluster, before it will have disintegrated.<ref name=Stoyan>Template:Cite book</ref>
Walter Scott Houston describes the appearance of the cluster in small telescopes:<ref name="WSH"> Template:Cite book</ref>
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 bright red/orange star near the center is HIP 32406, a giant star of spectral type K2, about 1500 ly away of magnitude 6.9.
GalleryEdit
- Messier 41 TLR.jpg
M41 in an 8" telescope
- M41 star map from Sirius.png
M41 finder chart
- Open Cluster M41 from Viña del Mar.jpg
Open cluster M41 taken from a 12-inch Dobson telescope in Viña del Mar
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
<ref name="Harris1993">Template:Cite journal</ref>
External linksEdit
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