Messier 93

Image Credit: Wikisky

Messier 93 (M93) is an open star cluster located in the constellation Puppis. It lies at a distance of 3,600 light years from Earth. Messier 93 has the designation NGC 2447 in the New General Catalogue. The cluster has an apparent diameter of 22 arc minutes, roughly two thirds the size of the full Moon. This corresponds to a spatial extension of about 20 to 25 light years.

M93 can be seen without binoculars under exceptionally clear, dark skies, and is easy to find with binoculars. It has an apparent magnitude of 6.0. Binoculars and small telescopes reveal the triangular shape formed by the cluster’s brightest stars. Small telescopes show a large, dense star cluster with a grouping of stars shaped like an arrowhead near the centre. 8-inch and larger telescopes resolve dozens of stars in the cluster.

Messier 93 is not very hard to find as it is located in the same area of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Located in Canis Major, Sirius can be found using the stars of Orion. A line drawn through the three bright stars of Orion’s Belt extended southward leads directly to the star. About 8 degrees to the southeast of Sirius are the two components of the Omicron Canis Majoris system: Omicron-1 and Omicron-2 CMa. A line connecting the stars extended to the east and a little south for about 10 degrees leads to M93, which lies near the magnitude 2.21 star Zeta Puppis. The best time of year to observe M93 is during the winter.

Object  : Cluster

Type: Open

Designations: Messier 93, M93, NGC 2447, Collinder 160, C 0742-237, OCl 649.0, MWSC 1324

Constellation: Puppis

Right ascension: 07h 44.6m

Declination: -23°52′

Distance: 3,600 light years (1,100 parsecs)

Age: 100 million years

Number of stars: 80

Apparent magnitude: +6.0

Apparent dimensions: 22′

Radius: 10 to 12 light years

Location:

Image Credit: IAU, Sky

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