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M47

Messier 47
Open Star Cluster

Right Ascension 7h 36m 36s Best Seen 2/15 - 5/1
Declination -14° 30' 00" Magnitude 5.2
Constellation Puppis

Actual
Compared
to Sun
Distance 1,600 ly --
Diameter 12 ly --
Number of Stars ~50 1
Actual Brightness -- --
Age 78 million years 5 billion
Integrated Spectral Type -- G2 V
Density (gram/cubic cm) -- --

What To Look For Through The Telescope


  1. Recommended eyepiece: 40mm or 80 mm.

  2. When people look through the telescope the cluster will appear as a group of individual stars; much like sugar or salt sprinkled on a table top.


M47 INFORMATION:


  1. This cluster was discovered before 1654 by Giovanni Batista Hodierna. He described it as “a Nebulosa between the two dogs.” However, this wasn’t realized until 1984, when his long forgotten published catalog was rediscovered.

  2. Charles Messier independently discovered M47 in 1771. However, he made an error when computing its position, so it was a “missing object” until 1934. In that year, Oswald Thomas identified the cluster as Messier’s M47.

  3. As a consequence of Messier’s error, William Herschel also independently rediscovered the cluster in 1785.

  4. Under good observing conditions, M47 can be seen with the unaided eye as a dim nebulosity.

Home > Star Clusters > Open > M47 > Reference top
References
Item Updated Notes
Coordinates 2003-01-04 tweaked a bit
Distance 2003-01-04 OK with http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m047.html
Actual Brightness --
Number of Stars 2003-01-04 OK with http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m047.html
Diameter 2003-01-04 OK with http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m047.html
Age 2003-01-04 OK with http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m047.html
Integrated Spectral Type --
Other Information 2003-01-05 lots from http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m047.html