Right ascension 07 44.6 Distance 3.6 kly (1.1 kpc) Apparent dimensions (V) 22.0′ | Declination −23° 52′ Apparent magnitude (V) 6.0 Radius 10 | |
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Messier 93 (also known as M93 or NGC 2447) is an open cluster in the constellation Puppis. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781.
M93 is at a distance of about 3,600 light years from Earth and has a spatial radius of some 10 to 12 light years. Its age is estimated at some 100 million years.
Walter Scott Houston described its appearance as follows:
Some observers mention the cluster as having the shape of a starfish. With a fair-sized telescope, this is its appearance on a dull night, but [a four-inch refractor] shows it as a typical star-studded galactic cluster.
References
Messier 93 Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA