Waid Observatory

Object: NGC 2281
Date: Dec. 20, 2018   -   Location: Davis Mountains west of Fort Davis, TX
Telescope: Stellarvue SV102ED   Camera: ST-8300m   Filters: Astrodon TruBalance
Exposure: L = 120 min. (Bin 1X1)   R G & B = 90 min. each (Bin 1X1)
Click on the image below to view at higher resolution.

 

NGC 2281

 

NGC 2281 1, 2

Discovered Nov. 6, 1782 by William Herschel

NGC 2281 is an open cluster of stars in the constellation of Auriga.  The estimated distance to the cluster is approximately 1,820 light years.  The cluster is readily resolved in small to medium amateur telescopes.  The visual diameter of the cluster is a little less than that of the full Moon and measures approximately 25 arc-min.  The age of the cluster is estimated to be about 650 million years.

1https://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc22a.htm#2281
2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_2281

 
Copyright Donald P. Waid