M37 (NGC 2099)
Also known as M37 · M 37 · NGC 2099
M37 (NGC 2099) is an open star cluster in the constellation Auriga, about 4,570 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Position (J2000) | 5h 52m 18s, +32° 33′ |
| Distance | 4,570 light-years (its light set off about 4,570 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.6 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 19.3′ × 19.3′ (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 | 445 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M37 (NGC 2099) is highest in the sky at midnight in December. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 77° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 73°. 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 Auriga
- Capella
- Epsilon Aurigae
- Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405)
- FRB 121102
- Pinwheel Cluster (M36)
- Starfish Cluster (M38)
- Tadpoles Nebula
- Westbrook Nebula
Everything in Auriga · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits