Open Cluster NGC 2354

NGC 2354
NGC 2354: Section of DSS2. Here could be your picture. [147]

History

This open cluster was discovered by William Herschel on 6 March 1785 using his 20 foot telescope with 18.7 inch aperture. He listed it as VII 16 and noted: «A cluster of scattered stars, considerably rich, 20' diameter.» [463]

John Herschel, continuing his fathers work, listed it as h 438, observed it on 7 January 1831 and noted: «Loose straggling cluster; the preceding part is rather separated from the following, and more comp. Place that of 3 stars in the following part.» [466]

Physical Properties

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
DesignationNGC 2354
TypeOCL (III2m)
Right Ascension (J2000.0)07h 14m 10.0s
Declination (J2000.0)-25° 41' 24"
Diameter18 arcmin
Visual magnitude6.5 mag
Metric Distance3.794 kpc
Dreyer DescriptionCl, cRi, lC
Identification, RemarksWH VII 16; h 438; GC 1507; OCL 639; ESO 492-SC6

Finder Chart

The open cluster NGC 2354 is located in the constellation Canis Maior. On 8 January it in opposition with the Sun and is therefore highest in the sky at local midnight.

Canis Maior: Open Cluster NGC 2354
Finder Chart Open Cluster NGC 2354
06:40
09:57 | 17.4°
13:15
Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. Times are shown for timezone UTC, Latitude 46.7996°, Longitude 8.23225°, Horizon height 5°, Date 2025-08-02. [149, 160]

Objects Within a Radius of 15°

Abell 15
Abell 23
Abell 26
Collinder 121
Messier 41
Messier 46
Messier 47
Messier 93
Minkowski 1-18
Thor's Helmet
NGC 2359
Caroline's Cluster
NGC 2360
Tau Canis Majoris Cluster
NGC 2362
NGC 2421
NGC 2423
NGC 2425
NGC 2438
Insect Nebula
NGC 2440
NGC 2467
Dolphin Head Nebula
Sh 2-308

References

  • [147] Aladin Sky Atlas, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS); aladin.unistra.fr
  • [149] SkySafari 6 Pro, Simulation Curriculum; skysafariastronomy.com
  • [160] The STScI Digitized Sky Survey; archive.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form
  • [277] Historische Deep-Sky Kataloge; Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke; klima-luft.de/steinicke; 2021-02-17
  • [463] Catalogue of one thousand new nebulae and clusters of stars; William Herschel; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1 January 1786; DOI:10.1098/rstl.1786.0027
  • [466] Observations of nebulæ and clusters of stars, made at Slough, with a twenty-feet reflector, between the years 1825 and 1833; John Frederick William Herschel; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1 January 1833, Pages: 359-505; DOI:10.1098/rstl.1833.0021