Open cluster · Centaurus
NGC 5281 Little Scorpion Cluster
mag 5.96.9′ across
About
NGC 5281, the Little Scorpion Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 5.9 in Centaurus, about 6.9′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 5281 is in the constellation Centaurus.
- Best evenings: around early June 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 17° 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 5281 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 5.9The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 6.9′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 46m 35.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −62° 54′ 59″ |
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 →