M48 (NGC 2548)
Also known as M48 · M 48 · NGC 2548
M48 (NGC 2548) is an open star cluster in the constellation Hydra, about 2,520 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Position (J2000) | 8h 13m 43s, −5° 45′ |
| Distance | 2,520 light-years (its light set off about 2,520 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.8 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 44.3′ × 44.3′ (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 | 237 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M48 (NGC 2548) is highest in the sky at midnight in January. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 64° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 34°. 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 Hydra
- Alphard
- Ashlesha
- Ghost of Jupiter
- GJ 357
- GJ 433
- M68 (NGC 4590)
- Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)
- Spiderweb Galaxy
Everything in Hydra · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits