Celestial Object type Clusters

NGC 2547

NGC 2547 is a beautiful open star cluster situated in the Southern Hemisphere’s constellation of Vela, named after the sails of a ship. Located approximately 1,200 light-years from Earth, it is a relatively close and young cluster, making it an…

NGC 2477

NGC 2477, also designated Caldwell 71, is a spectacular open star cluster situated in the southern constellation of Puppis. Located approximately 3,600 light-years from Earth, this cluster is a remarkable example of a densely packed open cluster, often described as…

NGC 2362

NGC 2362, also catalogued as Caldwell 64, is a stunning open star cluster situated in the constellation Canis Major, the largest constellation in the night sky. Open star clusters, like NGC 2362, are groups of stars that originate from the…

Messier 47 (M47)

Messier 47 (M47) is an open star cluster located in the southern constellation of Puppis, approximately 1,600 light-years away from Earth. It has a long and rich history of discovery. The cluster was first catalogued by the ancient Greek astronomer…

Messier 46 (M46)

Messier 46 (M46) is a fascinating open star cluster located in the constellation Puppis, a segment of the now-divided ancient constellation Argo Navis. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1771, M46 is renowned for its dense population of stars and its…

Messier 93 (M93)

Messier 93 (M93), also known as the Critter Cluster, is a stunning open star cluster located in the constellation Puppis. Puppis is one of the constellations catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century and is part of…

Messier 67 (M67)

M67 (Messier 67) is a captivating open cluster located in the northern constellation Cancer, often referred to as the Crab. Situated at a distance of approximately 2,700 light-years from Earth, M67 is one of the closest rich star clusters, making…

Messier 3 (M3)

M3, also known as Messier 3, is a stunning globular cluster located in the constellation Canes Venatici, often referred to as the Hunting Dogs. This small northern constellation lies near the larger and more prominent constellation of Ursa Major, making…

Messier 4 (M4)

M4, also known as NGC 6121, is a globular cluster located approximately 5,500 light-years away from Earth, making it one of the closest globular clusters to our Solar System. Its relatively close proximity allows astronomers to study its stars in…

Messier M107 (M107)

Messier 107 (M107) is a remarkable globular cluster located in the constellation Ophiuchus, often depicted as the Serpent Bearer. This large constellation straddles the celestial equator, making the cluster visible from both hemispheres during specific times of the year. M107…

Flickering Globular (M62)

Messier 62 (M62) is a fascinating globular star cluster situated in the constellation Ophiuchus, close to its border with Scorpius. Known as the “Flickering Globular Cluster,” this nickname reflects the cluster’s irregular variability in brightness, adding intrigue to its observation.…

Messier 92 (M92)

Messier 92 (M92) is a remarkable globular star cluster located in the northern constellation of Hercules, approximately 26,700 light-years from Earth. This ancient celestial object offers a fascinating glimpse into the early stages of the Milky Way’s formation. Composition and…

Messier 23 (M23)

Messier 23 (M23) is an open star cluster located in the southern constellation Sagittarius, approximately 2,150 light-years from Earth. It is an intriguing object for both amateur and professional astronomers due to its relatively large size and the fascinating dynamics…

Messier M21 (M21)

Messier 21 (M21) is an open star cluster located in the constellation Sagittarius. Visible in the southern sky from most locations, M21 is part of the rich tapestry of celestial objects in this region of the Milky Way. It lies…

Messier 28 (M28)

Messier 28 (M28) is a globular cluster located in the constellation Sagittarius, a region renowned for its rich star fields and an abundance of deep-sky objects. Globular clusters, like M28, are dense assemblies of stars orbiting the cores of galaxies.…

NGC 6633

NGC 6633 is a prominent star cluster situated in the constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. It was first catalogued in 1784 by the renowned German-British astronomer William Herschel and later included in the New General Catalogue (NGC) compiled by John…

Messier M25 (M25)

M25, also known as Messier 25, is a prominent open star cluster located in the constellation of Sagittarius. It was first discovered in 1745 by the French astronomer Philippe Loys de Chéseaux and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1764…

Graff’s Cluster (IC 4756)

IC 4756, commonly known as “Graff’s Cluster,” is a prominent open star cluster situated in the constellation Serpens, specifically within Serpens Caput, the Serpent’s Head. This cluster is notable for its relatively large apparent size and brightness, making it a…

Wild Duck Cluster (M11)

Messier 11, commonly known as the Wild Duck Cluster, is an open star cluster located in the small but prominent constellation of Scutum, the Shield. Its name derives from the V-shaped pattern of its brightest stars, which resemble a flock…

NGC 6709

NGC 6709 is an open star cluster located in the equatorial constellation Aquila (the Eagle). It can be observed from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during specific times of the year, depending on its position in the sky. This…

Great Peacock (NGC 6752)

NGC 6752, often referred to as the Great Peacock Globular Cluster, is one of the most prominent and well-known globular clusters in the southern sky. Located in the constellation Pavo (the Peacock), the cluster’s nickname is derived from the shape…

Sceptre Cluster (M55)

M55, also known as the Sceptre Cluster (or sometimes the Spector Cluster), is a stunning globular cluster situated in the constellation Sagittarius. Globular clusters are dense collections of stars that are gravitationally bound, typically containing anywhere from thousands to millions…

NGC 6811

NGC 6811 is an open star cluster located in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. It was first discovered by the British astronomer John Herschel in 1829. This cluster is notable for its young, hot stars and its position within the…

Angelfish Cluster (M71)

M71, also known as the Angelfish Cluster, is a globular cluster located in the constellation Sagitta, the Arrow. Unlike most globular clusters, M71’s relatively loose and sparse structure has historically led to debates about whether it might instead be an…

Great Pegasus Cluster (M15)

M15, also known as the Great Pegasus Cluster, is a stunning globular cluster located in the constellation Pegasus. Globular clusters are tightly bound groups of stars held together by gravity, often containing hundreds of thousands to millions of stars. Among…

Messier 2 (M2)

M2, also known as Messier 2, is a prominent globular cluster located in the constellation Aquarius. Globular clusters are dense, spherical collections of stars held together by gravity, typically containing thousands to millions of stars. Among the roughly 150 known…

Messier 39 (M39)

Messier 39 (M39) is an open star cluster located in the constellation Cygnus, also known as the Swan. With its relatively bright appearance and rich stellar population, it is one of the more prominent open clusters in the Milky Way,…

NGC 7243

NGC 7243, also known as Caldwell 16, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Lacerta. Positioned about 2,500 light-years from Earth, NGC 7243 is a relatively close and accessible cluster in our galaxy, likely situated within one of…

Scorpion Cluster (M52)

Messier 52 (M52), also known as the Scorpion Cluster, is a compact open star cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Positioned in the northern sky, this cluster is easily accessible to observers in the Northern Hemisphere and is popular for…

White Rose Cluster (NGC 7789)

NGC 7789, also known as the White Rose Cluster or Caroline’s Rose, is a prominent open star cluster situated in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, about 8,000 to 9,000 light-years from Earth within the Perseus spiral arm of the Milky Way.…

Little Beehive Cluster (M41)

Messier 41 (M41), also known as the Little Beehive Cluster, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Canis Major, approximately 2,300 light-years from Earth. It lies within one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms, known as the Orion…

Christmas Tree (NGC 2264)

NGC 2264, often referred to as the Christmas Tree Cluster, is a young open star cluster located in the Cone Nebula in the constellation Monoceros, approximately 2,500 light-years away. This visually striking cluster is home to several hundred stars and…

Satellite Cluster (NGC 2244)

NGC 2244, also known as Caldwell 50 or the Satellite Cluster, is a young open star cluster within the Rosette Nebula, located in the equatorial constellation of Monoceros. Approximately 5,000 light-years away, it lies within one of the spiral arms…

Starfish Cluster (M38)

M38, also known as the Starfish Cluster, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Auriga in the Northern Hemisphere. It lies approximately 4,200 light-years from Earth, situated in the Orion Arm, one of the smaller spiral arms of…

Salt and Pepper Cluster (M37)

M37, sometimes referred to as the “Salt and Pepper Cluster,” is a prominent open star cluster located in the constellation Auriga in the Northern Hemisphere. It is situated approximately 4,511 light-years from Earth, within one of the spiral arms of…

Pinwheel Cluster (M36)

M36, also known as the Pinwheel Cluster, is an open star cluster located in the northern part of the constellation Auriga, visible from the Northern Hemisphere. It is situated approximately 4,100 light-years away from Earth. First discovered by the Italian…

NGC 1027

NGC 1027 is a lesser-known open star cluster located in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, approximately 3,800 light-years from Earth. It was first catalogued by the astronomer William Herschel in 1787, who was known for his extensive surveys of the night…

NGC 1746

NGC 1746 is an open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus, situated roughly 2,500 light-years away from Earth. Open clusters like NGC 1746 consist of stars that formed together from the same molecular cloud and are loosely bound by…

Messier 34 (M34)

M34, also known as NGC 1039, is an open star cluster located in the northern constellation Perseus. It is sometimes called the “Spiral Cluster” because its stars are arranged in a pattern that appears slightly spiral-shaped from our vantage point…

NGC 752

NGC 752, also known as Caldwell 28, is an open star cluster located in the northern constellation of Andromeda. Open clusters consist of stars that formed together from a common molecular cloud, remaining loosely bound by gravity over time. Typically,…

NGC 288

NGC 288 is classified as a globular cluster located in the southern constellation of Sculptor. Globular clusters are spherical collections of stars tightly bound by gravity, typically orbiting the cores of galaxies, including our Milky Way. These clusters can contain…

NGC 371

NGC 371 is an open cluster located in the small constellation of Tucana in the southern celestial hemisphere. Situated at an impressive distance of approximately 200,000 light-years from Earth, this cluster lies well outside the Milky Way’s galactic disc, contributing…

Messier 103 (M103)

Messier 103 (M103), also known as NGC 581, is an open star cluster located in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, near the border with Perseus. Situated approximately 8,500 to 9,500 light-years from Earth, M103 is one of the more distant open…

Fuzzy Butterfly (NGC 654)

NGC 654, also known as the Fuzzy Butterfly Cluster, is an open star cluster situated in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, near the border with Perseus. Located in the southern region of Cassiopeia, it lies approximately 7,800 light-years from Earth. The…

Owl Cluster (NGC 457)

NGC 457 (Caldwell 13), commonly known as the Owl Cluster or ET Cluster, is a prominent and bright open star cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Discovered by the German-British astronomer William Herschel in 1787, it was catalogued in his…

The Serpens South Cluster

The Serpens South Cluster, also known as Serpens OB2, is a young and massive stellar association located in the southern part of the constellation Serpens, specifically within Serpens Cauda. Positioned approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth, it serves as an accessible…

NGC 1943

NGC 1943 is a young open star cluster located in the constellation Mensa, which lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. Discovered by the British astronomer John Herschel in 1834 during his observations from the Cape of Good Hope in South…

NGC 1903

NGC 1903 is an open star cluster located in the southern constellation of Dorado within the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The LMC is situated approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth. This cluster was discovered…

NGC 1860

NGC 1860 is an open star cluster located in the southern constellation of Dorado, within the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The LMC is situated approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth. NGC 1860 was discovered…

NGC 1852

NGC 1852 is an open star cluster located in the southern constellation of Dorado, which lies within the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The cluster was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on November…

NGC 1847

NGC 1847 is a notable open star cluster situated in the southern constellation Dorado (The Swordfish), within the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Located approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth, NGC 1847 was first identified…

The Southern Pleiades (IC 2602)

The Southern Pleiades, also known as IC 2602 or Caldwell 102, is an open star cluster in the constellation Carina in the southern celestial hemisphere, located about 479 light-years from Earth. Observed by various cultures throughout history, the cluster has…

The Hyades Cluster

The Hyades Cluster, also known as Collinder 50, is one of the closest and most well-known open star clusters to Earth, located just 153 light-years away in the constellation of Taurus (the Bull). It is easily visible to the naked…

Alpha Persei Cluster

The Alpha Persei Cluster, also known as Melotte 20 or Collinder 39, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Perseus, situated in the northern celestial hemisphere. This cluster lies approximately 590 light-years away from Earth and is notable…

Omicron Velorum Cluster

The Omicron Velorum Cluster, also known as NGC 3201 or Caldwell 79, is an open star cluster located in the constellation of Vela. This cluster lies in the southern celestial hemisphere and is well known for its distinctive appearance and…

Coma Star Cluster

The Coma Star Cluster, also known as Melotte 111 or Collinder 256, is an open star cluster situated in the constellation of Coma Berenices, within the northern celestial hemisphere. Located relatively close to the celestial north pole, it is visible…

Omega Centauri (NGC 5139)

Omega Centauri, also known as NGC 5139 or Caldwell 80, is one of the most remarkable and massive globular clusters in the Milky Way galaxy. Located in the constellation Centaurus near the boundary with Hydra, it resides in the southern…

The Beehive Cluster (M44)

The Beehive Cluster, also known as Messier 44 (M44) or Praesepe, is a prominent open star cluster located in the northern constellation of Cancer. Positioned about 577 light-years from Earth, this striking cluster is a favorite among amateur astronomers, offering…

Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755)

The Jewel Box Cluster, also known as NGC 4755 or the Kappa Crucis Cluster, is a renowned open star cluster located in the southern constellation of Crux (the Southern Cross). Positioned approximately 6,440 light-years from Earth, this cluster offers a…

47 Tucanae

47 Tucanae, also known as NGC 104 or simply 47 Tuc, is one of the sky’s most impressive globular clusters. Located in the southern constellation Tucana, this cluster lies around 13,000 light-years from Earth and is easily visible from southern…

The Double Cluster

The Double Cluster, also catalogued as NGC 869 and NGC 884 (Caldwell 14), is an exquisite pairing of open star clusters in the constellation Perseus, named after the celebrated Greek hero. Located close to one another, these two clusters are…

The Pleiades (M45)

Messier 45 (M45), commonly known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, is a prominent open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus. Visible to the naked eye, the Pleiades has been known since antiquity and is one of the…

Butterfly Cluster (M6)

Messier 6 (M6), also known as the Butterfly Cluster or NGC 6405, is a striking open star cluster situated in the constellation Scorpius, near the “stinger” stars, Shaula and Lesath. Located approximately 1,600 light-years from Earth, M6 is notable for…

Messier 3 (M3)

Messier 3 (M3) is a spectacular globular star cluster situated in the constellation Canes Venatici, also known as the Hunting Dogs. Located approximately 33,900 light-years from Earth, M3 is one of the most prominent and well-studied globular clusters visible from…

Messier 14 (M14)

Messier 14 (M14) is a prominent globular cluster located in the constellation Ophiuchus, also known as the Serpent Bearer. Situated approximately 30,000 light-years from Earth, M14 was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier on June 1, 1764, and became the…

Ptolemy Cluster (M7)

Messier 7 (M7), also known as the Ptolemy Cluster or NGC 6475, is a bright open star cluster located in the constellation Scorpius, near the scorpion’s “stinger” stars, Shaula and Lesath. Positioned at approximately 980 light-years from Earth, M7 is…

Messier 5 (M5)

Messier 5 (M5) is a prominent globular cluster located in the constellation Serpens, approximately 24,500 light-years from Earth. This massive cluster was first recorded by German astronomer Gottfried Kirch in 1702, who noted it while observing a comet. Charles Messier…

Messier 19 (M19)

Messier 19 (M19) is a globular star cluster located in the constellation Ophiuchus, known as the Serpent Bearer. The distance to M19 is estimated to be around 28,700 light-years from Earth. M19 was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier on…

Great Globular Cluster (M13)

Messier 13 (M13), also known as the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, is one of the most renowned and impressive globular clusters visible in the night sky. It is situated at a distance of approximately 22,200 light-years from Earth. M13…

Messier 12 (M12)

Messier 12 (M12) is an open cluster located in the southern constellation Ophiuchus, also known as the Serpent Bearer. It is situated at an approximate distance of 15,700 light-years from Earth. This distance measurement is derived from the cluster’s apparent…

Sagittarius Star Cloud (M18)

Messier 18 (M18), also known as the Sagittarius Star Cloud, is an open cluster in the constellation Sagittarius, positioned near the well-known “Teapot” asterism. Located approximately 4,900 light-years from Earth, its estimated distance is based on its apparent brightness and…

Messier 10 (M10)

Messier 10 is a globular cluster nestled in the constellation Ophiuchus. Its position near the celestial equator makes it visible from both hemispheres. Discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier in May 1764, M10 holds the distinction of being one…

Messier 9 (M9)

Messier 9 (M9) is a globular cluster located within the constellation Ophiuchus in the southern hemisphere. Discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier in May 1764, M9 was one of the first objects added to his catalogue of non-cometary celestial…