NGC 1981

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NGC 1981
M42 HaRGB Composite Feb 2012 P.jpg
NGC 1981 is the sparse scattering of bright stars without nebulosity at the top (north) of this image of the Orion Nebula region
Credit: David St. Louis
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
Right ascension 05h 35m 09.6s [1]
Declination −04° 25 30 [1]
Distance 1,300 [2] (400 [2] )
Apparent magnitude  (V)4.2 [3]
Apparent dimensions (V)28.00 [4]
Physical characteristics
Other designationsOCL 525, Collinder 73 [5]
Associations
Constellation Orion
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

NGC 1981 (also known as OCL 525) is an open cluster which is located in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by John Herschel on 4 January 1827. Its apparent magnitude is 4.2 [3] and its size is 28.00 arc minutes. It lies to the north of the Orion Nebula, separated from it by the Sh2-279 region containing NGC 1973, 1975, and 1977.

Some say it looks like an alligator or crocodile, with its eastern star as the snout, its western star as its tail and the two groups of three stars in the middle of it as its two set of legs. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sh2-279</span> Emission nebula in the constellation Orion

Sh2-279 is an HII region and bright nebulae that includes a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. It is the northernmost part of the asterism known as Orion's Sword, lying 0.6° north of the Orion Nebula. The reflection nebula embedded in Sh2-279 is popularly known as the Running Man Nebula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 559</span> Open star cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia

NGC 559 is an open cluster and Caldwell object in the constellation Cassiopeia. It shines at magnitude +9.5. Its celestial coordinates are RA 01h 29.5m, dec +63° 18′. It is located near the open cluster NGC 637, and the bright magnitude +2.2 irregular variable star Gamma Cassiopeiae. The cluster is 7 arcmins across.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemini (constellation)</span> Zodiac constellation in the northern hemisphere

Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac and is located in the northern celestial hemisphere. It was one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. Its name is Latin for twins, and it is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology. Its old astronomical symbol is (♊︎).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4473</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4473 is an elliptical galaxy located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 8, 1784. NGC 4473 has an inclination of about 71°. NGC 4473 is a member of a chain of galaxies called Markarian's Chain which is part of the larger Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4340</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4340 is a double-barred lenticular galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices. NGC 4340 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 21, 1784. NGC 4340 is a member of the Virgo Cluster. NGC 4340 is generally thought to be in a pair with the galaxy NGC 4350.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4457</span> Galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

NGC 4457 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. It is also classified as a LINER galaxy, a class of active galaxy defined by their spectral line emissions. NGC 4457 Is inclined by about 33°. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on February 23, 1784. Despite being listed in the Virgo Cluster Catalog as VCC 1145, NGC 4457 is a member of the Virgo II Groups which form an extension of the Virgo cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4459</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenicies

NGC 4459 is a lenticular galaxy located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices. NGC 4459 is also classified as a LINER galaxy. NGC 4459 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on January 14, 1787. NGC 4459 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4633</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4633 is a spiral galaxy located about 70 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It is interacting with the nearby galaxy NGC 4634. NGC 4633 was discovered by astronomer Edward D. Swift on April 27, 1887. It was rediscovered on November 23, 1900, by astronomer Arnold Schwassmann and was later listed as IC 3688. NGC 4633 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4873</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4873 is a lenticular galaxy located about 270 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices. NGC 4873 was discovered by astronomer Heinrich d'Arrest on May 10, 1863. The galaxy is a member of the Coma Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4440</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4440 is a barred spiral galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. NGC 4440 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 17, 1784. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4753</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4753 is a lenticular galaxy located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. NGC 4753 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on February 22, 1784. It is notable for having distinct dust lanes that surround its nucleus. It is a member of the NGC 4753 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4492</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4492 is a spiral galaxy located about 90 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. NGC 4492 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on December 28, 1785. It was rediscovered by astronomer Arnold Schwassmann on January 23, 1900, and was listed as IC 3438. NGC 4492 lies in the direction of the Virgo Cluster. However, it is not considered to be a member of that cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4497</span> Lenticular galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

NGC 4497 is a lenticular galaxy located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. NGC 4497 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784. It was rediscovered by astronomer Arnold Schwassmann on November 8, 1900 and was listed as IC 3452. NGC 4497 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4498</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4498 is a barred spiral galaxy located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. NGC 4498 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 21, 1784. NGC 4498 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1980</span> Open cluster in the constellation Orion

NGC 1980 is a young open cluster associated with an emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by William Herschel on 31 January 1786. Its apparent size is 14 × 14 arc minutes and it is located around the star Iota Orionis on the southern tip of the Orion constellation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1984</span> Open cluster in the constellation Dorado

NGC 1984 is an open cluster associated with an emission nebula, it is located in the constellation Dorado in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was discovered by John Herschel on 16 December 1835. The apparent magnitude is 9.9 and its size is 1.50 by 1.20 arc minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1019</span> Galaxy in the constellation Cetus

NGC 1019 is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 316 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Cetus. It was discovered by French astronomer Édouard Stephan on December 1, 1880 with the 31" reflecting telescope at the Marseille Observatory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3312</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra

NGC 3312 is a large and highly inclined spiral galaxy located about 194 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on March 26, 1835. It was later rediscovered by astronomer Guillaume Bigourdan on February 26, 1887. NGC 3312 was later listed and equated with IC 629 because the two objects share essentially the same celestial coordinates. NGC 3312 is the largest spiral galaxy in the Hydra Cluster and is also classified as a LINER galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1444</span> Small open cluster in the constellation Perseus

NGC 1444 is a small open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Perseus, about 2-14° to the northwest of 43 Persei. It has an angular diameter of 4 arcminutes and a brightness of 6.60 in visual magnitude. The cluster has sixty members of seventh magnitude or fainter, and is better appreciated in larger telescopes. NGC 1444 was discovered on 18 December 1788 by the German-British astronomer William Herschel. It is located at a distance of 4,200 light-years from the Sun and is about 7.1 million years old. The cluster has a physical core radius of 1.73 ± 0.42 ly and a tidal radius of 17.4 ± 4.2 ly. The most prominent member is the triple star system Σ446, with a magnitude 6.7 primary. The cluster is a member of the Camelopardalis OB1 association.

References

  1. 1 2 "NED results for object NGC 1981 *". NED. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 "NGC1981: The often-overlooked open cluster in Orion". Eye on the sky. December 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 "NGC 1981 -- Open (galactic) Cluster". SIMBAD. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  4. "Object: NGC 1981 (*)". SEDS. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  5. "The open cluster NGC 1981". In the Sky. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  6. "Overlooked Wonders In Orion's Shadow". Sky and Telescope. February 10, 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2017.