M36

Alt. Designations: NGC 1960
Object Type: Open Cluster
Constellation: Auriga
Distance: 4.1 kly
Right Ascension: 05h 36m 17.7s
Declination: +34° 08´ 27"
Visual Magnitude: 6
Apparent Dimension: 10.0´ Dia.
Best Month To View: Dec

Nestled within the constellation Auriga is M36, a galactic cluster of about 60 stars. This cluster is around 4,100 light-years from Earth and has a diameter of about 14 light-years. At an age of only 25 million years, it is quite young and contains no red giant stars. M36 has a visual magnitude of 6.0 with the individual member stars ranging in magnitude from 9 to 14. This relatively large cluster is easy to spot with binoculars. In telescopes, it is best viewed at low powers.