H-NGC2281
Open Cluster in Auriga
About
The Broken Heart Cluster, an open cluster in Auriga about 1,720 light-years away. Sources give its age as roughly 630 to 660 million years and its width as about 25′. William Herschel found it in 1788.
Imaging tips
- Bright at magnitude 5.4 and 21.0 mag/arcsec², so it needs no narrowband help; broadband luminance plus colour suits a star cluster.
- 970–1,620 mm on APS-C spans a third to half of the frame, in a field of view of about 55′.
- One imager used a mono camera with 120 minutes of luminance and 90 minutes for each of red, green and blue.
- Best in December and January; it climbs to about 81° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 25′
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Coordinates
- RA 6h 48.2m, Dec +41° 5′
- Framing, APS-C
- 970–1620 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 1490–2480 mm
- Best months
- Jan, Dec
- Peak altitude
- 81° from 50°N, 84° from 35°N