Open Cluster Messier 36
History
M 36 is the first of the three bright Messier star clusters in the constellation Auriga. The other two are M 37 and M 38. It was discovered in 1654 by Giovanni Hodierna and then again in 1749 by Guillaume Le Gentil and in 1764 by Chales Messier. [4, 196]
Physical Properties
The star cluster is of the Trumpler type II3m and contains about 60 stars from 9th to 14th magnitude. The center with the brightest stars measures about 10 arc minutes in diameter and contains the binary star Struve 737 (Σ 737, ADS 4194, distance 10.7 "). M 36 is one of the younger star clusters with bright B-type stars and no red giants ranging from 1200 Up to 1318 pieces. [4, 145]
| Designation | NGC 1960 |
| Type | OCL (II3m) |
| Right Ascension | 05h 36m 17.7s |
| Declination | +34° 08' 27" |
| Diameter | 10 arcmin |
| Visual magnitude | 6.0 mag |
| Metric Distance | 1.318 kpc |
| Dreyer Description | Cl, B, vL, vRi, lC, st 9…11 sc |
| Identification, Remarks | M 36, OCL 445 |
Finder Chart
The open star cluster is located within the pentagon in the constellation Auriga (Charioteer) and is visible to the naked eye on a dark night. The best observation time is September to April.
Visual Observation
Description pending ...