Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. Located approximately four degrees south of Sirius, it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Sirius and Nu2 Canis Majoris, visible together in binoculars. The cluster spans an area comparable to the size of the full moon and contains about 100 stars, including several red giants and white dwarfs.Koester, D. Reimers, D. (1981), "Spectroscopic identification of white dwarfs in Galactic Clusters I. NGC2287 and NGC3532", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 99, L8-11
Discovery and history Discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654, M41 may have been observed by Aristotle as early as 325 BC.M41 possibly recorded by Aristotle It is sometimes called the Little Beehive Cluster due to its resemblance to the Beehive Cluster (M44).The Dog Star and the Little Beehive Cluster
Characteristics The brightest star in M41 is a red giant of spectral type K3 with an apparent magnitude of 6.3 near the cluster's center. The cluster has a diameter of and is receding from Earth at 23.3 km/s. Estimates suggest an age of 190 million years, with a predicted lifespan of 500 million years before disintegration.
Observation Walter Scott Houston noted its appearance in small telescopes: 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 prominent red-orange central star, HIP 32406, is a K2-type giant of magnitude 6.9, located ~1,500 light-years away.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
Gallery
See also List of Messier objects New General Catalogue Messier object List of open clusters
References
External links
Messier 41, SEDS Messier pages NightSkyInfo.com – M41 M41 Hires LRGB CCD Image