M93
NGC 2447
Properties
Position & Identifiers
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M93 · 15.0′ diameter · N up, E left
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About M93
Description
M93 is a bright, compact open cluster in Puppis, about 3,600 light-years from Earth. It contains roughly 80 stars spread across about 25 light-years, with an age of about 100 million years. The cluster has a triangular or wedge-shaped outline with an interesting mixture of blue-white and orange stars.
Observing Tips
Located about 1.5 degrees northwest of Xi Puppis. In binoculars it appears as a bright, dense, nebulous patch. A telescope at 60-80x reveals about 30 stars in an attractive triangular arrangement with chains and arcs of stars. Several orange-tinted giants stand out among the blue-white main-sequence members. Best observed from January through March.
History
Discovered by Charles Messier on March 20, 1781. It is one of the last objects added to his catalog. The cluster sits in a rich Milky Way field in Puppis.
Fun Facts
M93 is sometimes described as resembling a butterfly or an arrowhead. Its mix of blue-white young stars and evolved orange giants creates a pleasing color contrast in moderate telescopes. The cluster is moving through space at about 24 km/s and will gradually disperse over the next several hundred million years.