Jewel Box
Also known as NGC 4755
Jewel Box is an open star cluster in the constellation Crux, about 6,450 light-years from Earth.
Open cluster near the Southern Cross
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Crux |
| Position (J2000) | 12h 53m 37s, −60° 21′ |
| Distance | 6,450 light-years (its light set off about 6,450 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 4.2 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 10.3′ × 10.3′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 302 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Jewel Box is highest in the sky at midnight in April. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 10° above the horizon; from 50° N it never rises. To see it you need the naked eye from a dark site.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Crux
Everything in Crux · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits