Open cluster · Puppis
NGC 2546 Heart and Dagger Cluster
mag 6.317′ across
About
NGC 2546, the Heart and Dagger Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 6.3 in Puppis, about 17′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 2546 is in the constellation Puppis.
- Best evenings: around early March it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 42° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small knot of stars, partly resolved.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Dozens of stars, many sharp and some coloured.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 2546 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 6.3The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 17′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 08h 12m 15.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −37° 35′ 39″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →