M 37 (NGC 2099)
Open Star Cluster in Auriga
| Position (J2000): | 05h52m18s +32°33'11" |
| Magnitude: | 5.6 |
| Size: | 23' |
| Class: | I 2 r |
| Finder Charts: | 30° | 15° | 5° |
| Search Radius: | 5° |
| NGC Description: | Cl, Ri, pCM, st L & S; = M37 |
| Other Identifiers: | Cr 75, Mel 38, Lund 115, h 369, GC 1295 |
One of the best winter open clusters, any telescope will show hundreds of members with several bright stars and beautiful dark lanes winding among the stars. About 4600 light years distant. There is a lovely orange (or yellow) star near center that is NOT a cluster member, it has a different motion than the cluster.
Learn more about M 37 on the web, browse the observing lists containing M 37, or review the references used to gather information regarding M 37. Read observations made by other observers such as Charles Messier.
Observations
| ID | Description |
|---|---|
| 2329 | Observing amongst spooks and goblins - November 1, 2008 03:42 UT At 46x in the 20mm eyepiece with the 114mm reflector, M 37 appears as a large, dense, cluster of many faint stars. The cluster appears as a faint diffuse patch with direct vision. Averted vision resolves many faint stars well, with a haze in the background. |
| 2156 | Illinois Dark Skies Star Party 2008 - September 26, 2008 06:50 UT At 77x with the 24mm eyepiece in the 368mm reflector, M37 appears as a large, dense grouping of stars filling nearly one-third of the eyepiece field of view. The stars in the cluster have a medium range of magnitudes with a noticeable yellow star at the center of the cluster. The cluster has an overall wedge shape pointing southwest. The estimated Trumpler classification is II 2 r. |
| 1250 | A real nice surprise - February 5, 2005 01:57 UT At 55x with the 11m eyepiece in the 120mm refractor, M 37 appears as a large, dense, cluster with a dozen or so tenth magnitude stars scattered about. The background of the cluster contains hundreds of fainter stars. With averted vision, the cluster takes on a mottled appearance. The brightest star in the field of view lies near the center of the cluster, but is not a member of the cluster itself. |
| 1150 | Twin Lakes Star Party 2003 - October 24, 2003 03:23 UT At 91x with the 22mm eyepiece in the 203mm SCT, M37 appears as a large, dense cluster of bright stars with an oblong cluster of faint stars in the central region. At 21x with the 24mm eyepiece in the 80mm refractor, M37 appears as a bright, oblong, nebulous patch of light with direct vision. Averted vision resolves some stars along the outer edges of the cluster. |
| 902 | Testing the new Newt - March 31, 2003 04:07 UT At 55x with the 22mm eyepiece in the 150mm Newtonian, M37 appears as a round, rich, compressed cluster consisting of dozens of bright stars. Averted vision does not reveal many fainter stars within the cluster. |
| 262 | Amazing aurora astonishes amateur astronomer - November 6, 2001 04:36 UT With the 32mm (39x) eyepiece in the ETX-90, M37 appears as a small cluster of mostly faint members. Averted vision providers the best view of the cluster’s fainter members. The cluster is very much concentrated towards the center. |
| 208 | Twin Lakes Star Party 2001 - October 21, 2001 05:36 UT In 20x70 binoculars, M37 appears as a very compact, dense cluster. With averted vision, many fainter members of the cluster are resolved and the surface of the cluster appears mottled. |
