NGC 2169

 OPEN CLUSTER IN ORION (THE HUNTER)

aka The 37 Open Cluster    

(Image centered at: ra 06 h:09 m / dec + 13º 57')

December  - 2023, Home Backyard in Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Open Cluster

APPARENT DIAMETER: 7 arc minutes

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): 5,9

DISTANCE: 3,600 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

INSTRUMENT: 6" ORION OPTICS UK (Ultra Grade Optics) w/Sky Watcher Coma Corrector (0.9x) working at at f4.5

CAMERA: QHY 183 MONO

MOUNT: VIXEN GDPX, OAG with Starlight Xpress Lodestar

FILTERS: BAADER LRGB Set

SKY CONDITIONS: urban skies - Bortle 8

EXPOSURES: LRGB (40,40,40,40)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 2169 is a bright Open Custer in the Constellation of Orion. A nice target for any type of telescope. It can be found a bit less than one degree to magnitude 4,43 xi orionis, which is the outstretched arm elbow of the hunter. It is nicknamed the " The 37 Open Cluster" due to its striking resemblance to the number 37. The cluster is rather small spanning for about 7 light years across and it has an age estimated of 8 millions years old. Catalogued as Collinder 83, it contains approximately 30 stars; the most luminous are hot B-type stars  NGC 2169 it was possible observed by Italian astronomer Giovanni Bautista Hodierna before 1654 and discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on October 1784.