NGC 2547

 OPEN CLUSTER IN VELA (THE SAIL)

(Image centered at: ra 08 h:10 m / dec -49º 12')

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March - 2024, Sarandí, Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Open Cluster & refection Nebula

APPARENT DIAMETER:  25 arc minutes 

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): 4.7

DISTANCE: 80 Million 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: rural skies - Bortle 4 - SQM 20.63

EXPOSURES: LHARGB (90,45,45,45,45)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 2547 is a bright and young open cluster in the southern constellation of Vela. Astronomers estimates that the stars of this cluster range from 25 to 30 million years old. Although that does not sound young, they are if we compare with the age of the of the universe of 13.8 billion years old and our Milky Way which is also ancient. NGC 2547 contains many hot stars that glow bright blue, but it can be found one or two yellow or red stars, which have already evolved to become red giants. Open star clusters like this usually only have comparatively short lives, about several hundred million years, before they disintegrate as their component stars drift apart.

This cluster has the particularity that shows a reflection nebula within its core which are clouds and interstellar dust reflected by the young and bright stars. The energy from the nearby stars is enough to be sufficient scattering to make the stars visible therefore the spectrum shown by the blue nebula is similar to the illuminating stars.

In 1751, French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille discovered the cluster during an astronomical expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, using a tiny telescope of less than two centimeters aperture.  

DISTANT GALAXIES AROUND NGC 2547

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