Caldwell 79
Star cluster in Vela · 16,300 light-years
🔭 Explore Caldwell 79 in the 3D map →View Caldwell 79 images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Vela |
| Right ascension | 10h 17m 37s |
| Declination | −46° 25′ |
| Object distance | 16,300 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 8.2 |
| Apparent size | 9.6′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 45.5 light-years across |
| Also known as | C79 · NGC 3201 |
Caldwell 79 is a star cluster (NGC 3201) in Vela — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 79 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 9.6 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 8.2, it shows up in a small backyard telescope.
Although it appears about 9.6′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 45.5 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Caldwell 79
Caldwell 79 lies in the constellation Vela and is best placed in the evening sky around February. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the southern hemisphere, and sits low for those far north. A small backyard telescope will show it; binoculars may hint at it under dark skies.
See Caldwell 79 in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Caldwell 79 and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Pleiades — star cluster
- Hercules Cluster — star cluster
- Small Sgr Star Cloud — star cluster
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster