Caroline's Cluster
Star cluster in Canis Major · 9,000 light-years
🔭 Explore Caroline's Cluster in the 3D map →View Caroline's Cluster images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Right ascension | 7h 17m 43s |
| Declination | −15° 38′ |
| Object distance | 9,000 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 7.2 |
| Apparent size | 9′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 23.6 light-years across |
| Also known as | C58 · NGC 2360 |
Caldwell 58, popularly known as Caroline's Cluster, is a star cluster (NGC 2360) in Canis Major — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 58 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 9 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 7.2, it is a rewarding binocular and small-telescope target.
Although it appears about 9′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 23.6 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Caroline's Cluster
Caroline's Cluster lies in the constellation Canis Major and is best placed in the evening sky around January. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. It is a comfortable target for binoculars and small telescopes.
See Caroline's Cluster in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Caroline's Cluster 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