List of open clusters

This is a list of open clusters located in the Milky Way. An open cluster is an association of up to a few thousand stars that all formed from the same giant molecular cloud. There are over 1,000 known open clusters in the Milky Way galaxy, but the actual total may be up to ten times higher. The estimated half-lives of clusters, after which half the original cluster members will have been lost, range from 150 million to 800 million years, depending on the original density.

Table Milky Way

+ Known and candidate Milky Way open clustersClusteridentifierImageEpoch J2000ConstellationDistance(Light-years)Age(Myr)DiameterApparentmagnitudeNotesR. A.Dec.HyadesTaurus153625330'0.5Coma Star ClusterComa Berenices280400–500120'1.8Coronet Cluster Corona Australis 420–5508.0Messier 45 (Pleiades)Taurus444125120'1.2IC 2602 (Southern Pleiades)Carina48630100'1.9Alpha Persei ClusterPerseus57050300'1.2IC 2391 (Omicron Velorum Cluster)Vela5743060'2.5NGC 2451 APuppis6005045'2.8Messier 44 (Beehive Cluster)Cancer61083070'3.1Melotte 186Ophiuchus652100240'3.0Blanco 1Sculptor10090'4.5Messier 7 (Ptolemy's Cluster)Scorpius980 ± 3322480'3.3Messier 39 (Pyramid Cluster)Cygnus1,01028030'4.6IC 348Perseus1,028447'7.3NGC 6633Ophiuchus1,04066020'4.6Pi Puppis ClusterPuppis1,040.550'2.1NGC 2232Monoceros1,0605345'3.9Trumpler 10Vela1,1003514'4.6IC 4665 (Summer Beehive Cluster)Ophiuchus1,1204370'4.2NGC 2547Vela1,1903825'4.7Collinder 140Canis Major1,2263542'3.5Sigma Orionis ClusterOrion1,263 IC 4756 (Graff's Cluster)Serpens1,30050040'4.6NGC 2516 (Southern Beehive Cluster)Carina1,30014130'3.8Lambda Orionis ClusterOrion1,30052.8NGC 3532 (Wishing Well Cluster)Carina1,32131650'3.0Trapezium ClusterOrion1,344 ± 200.30.783'4.0NGC 752Andromeda1,4701,700–2,00075'5.7Messier 34 (Spiral Cluster)Perseus1,50018036'5.2Messier 6 (Butterfly Cluster)Scorpius1,5909420'4.2Messier 47Puppis1,6007325'4.4NGC 6281 (Moth Wing Cluster)Scorpius1,6112208'5.4NGC 1980 (The Lost Jewel of Orion)Orion1,7934.714'2.5Messier 25Sagittarius2,0009230'4.6Messier 23Sagittarius2,05030030'5.5NGC 5662Centaurus2,1707030'5.5NGC 225Cassiopeia2,20013012'7.0NGC 5460Centaurus2,35016036'5.6NGC 2264Monoceros2,350 ± 521.540'3.9Messier 41Canis Major2,36024040'4.5NGC 6025Triangulum Australe2,41013014'5.1Messier 48Hydra2,50040030'5.8IC 5146Cygnus2,500±10019'7.2Messier 67 (King Cobra Cluster/Golden Eye Cluster)Cancer2,610 – 2,9304,00025'6.9NGC 2301Monoceros2,84016512'6.0Messier 50 (Heart-shaped Cluster)Monoceros2,87013014'5.9IC 4651Ara2,9001,90010'6.9NGC 7822 (Berkeley 59)Cepheus2,9002180'Messier 35 (Shoe-Buckle Cluster)Gemini2,97018025'5.0NGC 3114Carina2,97012436'4.2NGC 381Cassiopeia3,120 ± 3003207'9.3Messier 93 (Critter Cluster)Puppis3,38039010'6.2NGC 1502 (Golden Harp Cluster)Camelopardalis3,452108'5.7Messier 38 (Starfish Cluster)Auriga3,48031620'6.4NGC 6087 (S Normae Cluster)Norma3,5007014'5.4NGC 6204Ara3,540796'8.2Collinder 121Canis Major3,590 ± 0.7250'2.6NGC 2169Orion3,600125'5.9NGC 2360 (Caroline's Cluster)Canis Major3,7001,00013'7.2Messier 21 (Webb's Cross) Sagittarius3,9301214'5.9Bochum 14 Sagittarius~4,000NGC 189Cassiopeia4,2005103.7'8.8Messier 18 (Black Swan Cluster)Sagittarius4,230175'6.9Messier 36 (Pinwheel Cluster)Auriga4,340 ± 0.872510'6.0NGC 6242Scorpius4,350 ± 0.53509'6.4Messier 37 (Salt and Pepper Cluster)Auriga4,50034714'5.6Messier 52 (Scorpion Cluster)Cassiopeia4,60016015'6.9NGC 6067Norma4,62117014'5.6NGC 2362 (Tau Canis Majoris Cluster)Canis Major4,830 ± 0.974–55'4.1Messier 46Puppis4,920 ± 98025020'6.1Messier 26Scutum5,160857'8.0NGC 2244 (Satellite Cluster)Monoceros5,2001.930'4.8NGC 2355Gemini5,3809555'9.7NGC 188 (Polarissima Cluster)Cepheus5,4006,60017'8.1NGC 129Cassiopeia5,4507621′6.5NGC 3766 (Pearl Cluster)Centaurus5,5001412'5.3NGC 6231 (Baby Scorpion Cluster)Scorpius5,600 ± 400614'2.6Messier 16 (Eagle Nebula)Serpens5,700 ± 4001.36'6.0Messier 11 (Wild Duck Cluster)Scutum6,12025013'5.8NGC 2175Orion6,3508.95'6.8NGC 6756Aquila6,363624'4.5NGC 4755 (Jewel Box)Crux6,5001410'4.2NGC 6200Ara6,7008.512'7.4NGC 6031Norma6,800 ± 2.31173'8.5NGC 663Cassiopeia6,8502514'7.1NGC 637Cassiopeia7,045 ± 1.409104.2'8.2NGC 2129Gemini7,200105'6.7NGC 869 (h Persei)Perseus7,4601218'3.7NGC 1931Auriga7,500103'10.1NGC 884 (χ Persei)Perseus7,6001418'3.8NGC 7789 (White Rose Cluster)Cassiopeia7,6001,70016'6.7NGC 457 (Dragonfly Cluster)Cassiopeia7,9222120'6.4Collinder 261Musca8,1508,0009'10.7 NGC 659 (Yin-Yang Cluster)Cassiopeia8,200355'7.9NGC 3293Carina8,40088'4.7Trumpler 15 Carina 8,600Trumpler 14 Carina 8,980NGC 7419Cepheus9,1302'13Trumpler 16 Carina 9,270Messier 103Cassiopeia9,400165'7.4NGC 2509Puppis9,500Uncertain10'9.3Messier 24 (Small Sagittarius Star Cloud)Sagittarius10,00022090'2.5NGC 6834Cygnus10,850765'7.8NGC 2158Gemini11,0001,0545'8.6NGC 2439Puppis12,570259'6.9NGC 6791Lyra13,3008,90016'9.5NGC 2204Canis Major13,400 ± 1.378713'8.6Gaia 1Canis Major15,0006,30013'8.3Ruprecht 7Canis Major16,300-18,780Teutsch 2Auriga18,5909002'11Alicante 7 (RSGC5)Scutum 19,60016–20Alicante 10 (RSGC6)Scutum 19,60016–20Arches Cluster Sagittarius25,0002.5Quintuplet Cluster Sagittarius26,0004.8Arp-Madore 2Puppis30,0005,0001.3'Collinder 65 Taurus Collinder 173 VelaCollinder 463 Cassiopeia Brocchi's Cluster Vulpecula

Local Group

+ Open clusters of the Local GroupMilky Way Globular Clusters , Students for the Exploration and Development of SpaceIdentifierImage Epoch J2000Diameter()ApparentMagnitudeGalaxyRight ascensionDeclinationNGC 20703.5'7.25LMCHodge 3010.5'11LMC NGC 37610.90SMC

See also Lists of astronomical objects List of globular clusters List of infrared clusters Lists of clusters

References