Messier Index/M38

Messier 38 250px M38 open cluster, source: w:NOAO J2000.0 II Auriga 5h 28m 42s +35° 51′ 18″ 4.2 kly 1.3 kpc 7.4 21′ ? 25 ly -1.5 220 Ma w:NGC 1912 Messier 38 (also known as M38 or NGC 1912) is an w:open cluster in the w:Auriga constellation. It was discovered by w:Giovanni Batista Hodierna before w:1654 and independently found by w:Le Gentil in w:1749. w:M36 and w:M37, also discovered by Hodierna, are grouped together with w:M38 at a distance of about 3,420 w:light years away from w:Earth.Majaess D. J., Turner D., Lane D. (2007). In Search of Possible Associations between Planetary Nebulae and Open Clusters, PASP, 119, 1349 The cluster's brightest stars form a pattern resembling the Greek letter Pi or, according to Webb, an "oblique cross." At its distance of 4,200 light years, its angular diameter of about 20' corresponds to about 25 light years, similar to that of its more distant neighbor M37. It is of intermediate age (about 220 million years, according to Sky Catalog 2000) and features a yellow giant of w:apparent magnitude +7.9 and w:spectral type G0 as its brightest member. This corresponds to an w:absolute magnitude of -1.5, or a luminosity of 900 suns. For comparison, the w:Sun would appear as a faint magnitude +15.3 star from the distance of M38. Components NAME w:Right ascension w:Declination w:Spectral type w:HD 35519 05h 26m 54.3176s +35° 27' 26.181″ K2 NGC 1912 HOAG 2 B5II-III NGC 1912 HOAG 3 NGC 1912 HOAG 4 05h 28m 35.39s +35° 52' 51.2″ A0V NGC 1912 HOAG 5 05h 28m 50.73s +35° 46' 47.2″ A0Vn NGC 1912 HOAG 6 05h 28m 10.46s +35° 55' 26.0″ A0:V NGC 1912 HOAG 7 05h 28m 34.25s +35° 53' 29.7″ A2V NGC 1912 HOAG 11 NGC 1912 HOAG 19 K2IIIb NGC 1912 HOAG 104 G5III NGC 1912 SS G2 NGC 1912 HOAG 128 K0III NGC 1912 SS G4 A5:V NGC 1912 HOAG 153 K0V NGC 1912 SS G3 A3V NGC 1912 HOAG 160 K1IV NGC 1912 HOAG 161 G5V NGC 1912 HOAG 171 G7IV NGC 1912 HOAG 172 References External links Messier 38, SEDS Messier pages