Open cluster · Centaurus
NGC 3766 Pearl Cluster
Also known as: C97
mag 5.36.9′ across
About
NGC 3766, the Pearl Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 5.3 in Centaurus, about 6.9′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 3766 is in the constellation Centaurus.
- Best evenings: around early May 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 18° 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 3766, C97 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 5.3The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 6.9′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 36m 14.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −61° 36′ 19″ |
More in Centaurus
NGC 5139Omega CentauriGlobular cluster · mag 3.9
IC 2944Running Chicken NebulaCluster with nebula · mag 4.5
NGC 5128Centaurus AGalaxy · mag 7.2
NGC 5286Globular clustermag 7.3
NGC 4945Galaxymag 9.3
NGC 5662Gypsy Moth ClusterOpen cluster · mag 5.5
NGC 5281Little Scorpion ClusterOpen cluster · mag 5.9
NGC 5617Dracula ClusterOpen cluster · mag 6.3Sources 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 →