#m46

[nazdream]

Day 8 (January 26 2026)

in order of appearance: the moon, m46, m47, m48, leo triplet, winnecke 4, m53, m49, m58

[quiltofstars]

The open cluster M46 and the planetary nebula NGC 2438 // Tom Wideman

[spinningblueball]

Open Star Cluster M46

[ouhyesh]

©Chris Hetlage

M46 arriba á esquerda e M47 abaixo á dereita. «Desastre», do latín dis-astro, unha verba ben fermosa que significa ‘separación de estrelas’.

Clara Vidal

Agora hai estrelas no ceo e no mar. Ao ir para a cama, pintarnos de azul. Ao ir para a cama, pintarnos de azul...

Ataque Escampe

[main-battle-tank]

M47

[astronauticalaspirations]

Days of Messier: Open Cluster M46

This open cluster was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. It contains about 500 stars and lies 5,500 light years away from Earth. Astronomers estimate its age at 300 million years.

The planetary nebula NGC 2438, discovered by William Herschel in 1786, appears to lie within the cluster. However, it has a very different velocity than the cluster and is estimated to be only 2,900 light years distant. However, the Calabash Nebula, not visible in the picture above, is considered very likely to be a member of M46.

Yesterday: M45, the Pleiades Tomorrow: M47, an open cluster

[quiltofstars]

M46 (right), M47 (upper left), and NGC 2423 (mid-left) // Michael Maxwell

[quiltofstars]

M46 (star cluster) and NGC 2438 (planetary nebula) // Robert Eder