Open cluster · Vela
NGC 3228 Queen's Cache Cluster
mag 6.06.6′ across
About
NGC 3228, the Queen's Cache Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 6.0 in Vela, about 6.6′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 3228 is in the constellation Vela.
- Best evenings: around mid-April 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 28° 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
- EyesA faint smudge at the limit of vision, only from a dark site.
- 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 3228 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 6.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 6.6′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Vela |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 21m 22.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −51° 43′ 21″ |
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 →