M35 (NGC 2168)
Also known as M35 · M 35 · NGC 2168
M35 (NGC 2168) is an open star cluster in the constellation Gemini, about 2,900 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Gemini |
| Position (J2000) | 6h 09m 05s, +24° 20′ |
| Distance | 2,900 light-years (its light set off about 2,900 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.3 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 38.3′ × 38.3′ (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 | 618 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M35 (NGC 2168) is highest in the sky at midnight in December. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 86° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 64°. 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 Gemini
Everything in Gemini · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits