omi Vel Cluster
Star cluster in Vela · 500 light-years
🔭 Explore omi Vel Cluster in the 3D map →View omi Vel Cluster images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Vela |
| Right ascension | 8h 40m 32s |
| Declination | −53° 02′ |
| Object distance | 500 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 2.5 |
| Apparent size | 29.1′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 4.2 light-years across |
| Also known as | C85 · IC 2391 |
Caldwell 85, popularly known as the omi Vel Cluster, is a star cluster (IC 2391) in Vela — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 85 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 29.1 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 2.5, it can be glimpsed with the unaided eye under dark skies.
Although it appears about 29.1′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 4.2 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing omi Vel Cluster
omi Vel Cluster lies in the constellation Vela and is best placed in the evening sky around January. 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. At its brightness it can be found with the unaided eye under a dark sky and is easy in binoculars.
See omi Vel Cluster in Universe Finder
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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