This is a list of open clusters located in the Milky Way. An open cluster is an association of up to a few thousand stars that all formed from the same giant molecular cloud. There are over 1,000 known open clusters in the Milky Way galaxy, but the actual total may be up to ten times higher. The estimated half-lives of clusters, after which half the original cluster members will have been lost, range from 150 million to 800 million years, depending on the original density.
Cluster identifier | < | -- Empty cell for sort icons --> | Constellation | Distance (parsecs) | Age (Myr) | Diameter | Apparent magnitude | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Epoch J2000 | |||||||||
R. A. | Dec. | ||||||||
Hyades | Taurus | 47 | 625 | 330' | 0.5 | ||||
Coma Star Cluster | Coma Berenices | 86 | 400-500 | 120' | 1.8 | ||||
Trapezium Cluster | Orion | 412 | 0.3 | 0.783' | 4.0 | [1] | |||
Messier 6, Butterfly Cluster | Scorpius | 487 | 94 | 20' | 4.2 | ||||
Messier 7 | Scorpius | 280 | 224 | 80' | 3.3 | ||||
Messier 11, Wild Duck Cluster | Scutum | 1,900 | 250 | 13' | 5.8 | ||||
Messier 16, Eagle Nebula | Serpens | 1,800 | 1.3 | 6' | 6.0 | ||||
Messier 18 | Sagittarius | 1,296 | 17 | 5' | 6.9 | ||||
Messier 21 | Sagittarius | 1,205 | 12 | 14' | 5.9 | ||||
Messier 23 | Sagittarius | 628 | 300 | 30' | 5.5 | ||||
Messier 24 | Sagittarius | 3,070 | 220 | 90' | 2.5 | ||||
Messier 25 | Sagittarius | 620 | 92 | 30' | 4.6 | ||||
Messier 26 | Scutum | 1,600 | 85 | 7' | 8.0 | ||||
Messier 34 | Perseus | 499 | 180 | 36' | 5.2 | ||||
Messier 35 | Gemini | 912 | 180 | 25' | 5.0 | ||||
Messier 36 | Auriga | 1,330 | 25 | 10' | 6.0 | ||||
Messier 37 | Auriga | 1,400 | 347 | 14' | 5.6 | ||||
Messier 38 | Auriga | 1,400 | 316 | 20' | 6.4 | ||||
Messier 39 | Cygnus | 311 | 280 | 30' | 4.6 | ||||
Messier 41 | Canis Major | 710 | 240 | 40' | 4.5 | ||||
Messier 44, Beehive Cluster | Cancer | 187 | 830 | 70' | 3.1 | [2] | |||
Messier 45, Pleiades | Taurus | 136 | 125 | 120' | 1.2 | ||||
Messier 46 | Puppis | 1,510 | 250 | 20' | 6.1 | ||||
Messier 47 | Puppis | 490 | 73 | 25' | 4.4 | ||||
Messier 48 | Hydra | 770 | 400 | 30' | 5.8 | ||||
Messier 50 | Monoceros | 1,000 | 130 | 14' | 5.9 | ||||
Messier 52 | Cassiopeia | 1,400 | 160 | 15 | 6.9 | ||||
Messier 67 | Cancer | 908 | 4,000 | 25' | 6.9 | ||||
Messier 93 | Puppis | 1037 | 390 | 10' | 6.2 | ||||
Messier 103 | Cassiopeia | 3,000 | 16 | 5' | 7.4 | ||||
IC 2602, Southern Pleiades | Carina | 167 | 30 | 100' | 1.9 | ||||
IC 2391, Omicron Velorum Cluster | Vela | 176 | 30 | 60' | 2.5 | ||||
NGC 2451 A | Puppis | 189 | 50 | 45' | 2.8 | ||||
Alpha Persei Cluster | Perseus | 172 | 50 | 300' | 1.2 | ||||
Arp-Madore 2 | Puppis | 8,870 | 5,000 | 1.3' | |||||
Blanco 1 | Sculptor | 253 | 100 | 90' | 4.5 | ||||
Hodge 301 | Dorado | 51,400 | 25 | 0.5' | 11 | ||||
Lambda Orionis Cluster | Orion | 438 | 5 | 2.8 | [3] | ||||
Pi Puppis Cluster | Puppis | 319 | 50' | 2.1 | [4] | ||||
Melotte 186 | Ophiuchus | 200 | 100 | 240' | 3.0 | [5] | |||
NGC 2070 | Dorado | 48,500 | 1.5 | 3.5' | 7.25 | [6] [7] | |||
NGC 2232 | Monoceros | 325 | 53 | 45' | 3.9 | ||||
IC 4756 | Serpens | 330 | 500 | 40' | 4.6 | ||||
NGC 2516, Southern Beehive Cluster | Carina | 346 | 141 | 30' | 3.8 | ||||
IC 4665 | Ophiuchus | 352 | 43 | 70' | 4.2 | ||||
Trumpler 10 | Vela | 365 | 35 | 14' | 4.6 | ||||
NGC 6633 | Ophiuchus | 375 | 660 | 20' | 4.6 | ||||
IC 348 | Perseus | 385 | 44 | 7' | 7.3 | ||||
NGC 752 | Andromeda | 400 | 1,700 - 2,000 | 75' | 5.7 | ||||
NGC 3532, Wishing Well Cluster | Carina | 405 | 316 | 50' | 3.0 | ||||
Collinder 121 | Canis Major | 600 | 50' | 2.6 | [8] | ||||
Collinder 140 | Canis Major | 410 | 35 | 42' | 3.5 | ||||
Collinder 261 | Musca | 2,500 | 8,000 | 9' | 10.7 | [9] [10] | |||
NGC 2547 | Vela | 433 | 38 | 25' | 4.7 | ||||
NGC 6281 | Scorpius | 479 | 220 | 8' | 5.4 | ||||
NGC 225 | Cassiopeia | 657 | 130 | 12' | 7.0 | ||||
NGC 5662 | Centaurus | 666 | 70 | 30' | 5.5 | ||||
NGC 5460 | Centaurus | 678 | 160 | 36' | 5.6 | ||||
NGC 189 | Cassiopeia | 752 | 10 | 3.7' | 8.8 | ||||
NGC 6025 | Triangulum Australe | 756 | 130 | 14' | 5.1 | ||||
IC 5146 | Cygnus | 852 | 1 | 9' | 7.2 | ||||
NGC 2301 | Monoceros | 858 | 165 | 12' | 6.0 | [11] | |||
IC 4651 | Ara | 888 | 1,900 | 10' | 6.9 | ||||
NGC 6087, S Normae Cluster | Norma | 891 | 70 | 14' | 5.4 | ||||
NGC 3114 | Carina | 911 | 124 | 36' | 4.2 | ||||
NGC 2509 | Puppis | 912 | Uncertain | 10' | 9.3 | ||||
NGC 2264 | Monoceros | 913 | 1.5 | 40' | 3.9 | ||||
NGC 1502 | Camelopardalis | 1,000 | 10 | 8' | 5.7 | ||||
Berkeley 59 | Cepheus | 1,000 | 2 | 180' | |||||
NGC 2169 | Orion | 1,052 | 12 | 5' | 5.9 | ||||
NGC 6242 | Scorpius | 1,131 | 50 | 9' | 6.4 | ||||
NGC 381 | Cassiopeia | 1,148 | 320 | 7' | 9.3 | ||||
NGC 6204 | Ara | 1,200 | 79 | 6' | 8.2 | ||||
NGC 6231 | Scorpius | 1,243 | 6 | 14' | 2.6 | ||||
NGC 2439 | Puppis | 1,300 | 25 | 9' | 6.9 | ||||
NGC 6067 | Norma | 1,417 | 170 | 14' | 5.6 | ||||
NGC 2362, Tau Canis Majoris Cluster | Canis Major | 1,480 | 4–5 | 5' | 4.1 | ||||
NGC 6756 | Aquila | 1,507 | 62 | 4' | 4.5 | ||||
NGC 6031 | Norma | 1,510 | 117 | 3' | 8.5 | ||||
NGC 2175 | Orion | 1,627 | 8.9 | 5' | 6.8 | ||||
NGC 188 | Cepheus | 1,660 | 6,600 | 17' | 8.1 | ||||
NGC 2244 | Monoceros | 1,660 | 1.9 | 30' | 4.8 | ||||
NGC 129 | Cassiopeia | 1,670 | 76 | 21′ | 6.5 | ||||
NGC 2360, Caroline's Cluster | Canis Major | 1,887 | 1,000 | 13' | 7.2 | ||||
NGC 6834 | Cygnus | 1,930 | 76 | 5' | 7.8 | ||||
NGC 659 | Cassiopeia | 1,938 | 35 | 5' | 7.9 | ||||
Crux | 1,976 | 14 | 10' | 4.2 | |||||
NGC 6200 | Ara | 2,056 | 8.5 | 12' | 7.4 | ||||
NGC 869 | Perseus | 2,079 | 12 | 18' | 3.7 | ||||
NGC 637 | Cassiopeia | 2,160 | 10 | 4.2' | 8.2 | ||||
NGC 2355 | Gemini | 2,200 | 955 | 5' | 9.7 | ||||
NGC 2129 | Gemini | 2,200 | 10 | 5' | 6.7 | ||||
NGC 663 | Cassiopeia | 2,420 | 25 | 14' | 7.1 | ||||
NGC 457 | Cassiopeia | 2,429 | 21 | 20' | 6.4 | ||||
NGC 2204 | Canis Major | 2,629 | 787 | 13' | 8.6 | ||||
NGC 884 | Perseus | 2,940 | 14 | 18' | 3.8 | ||||
NGC 1931 | Auriga | 3,086 | 10 | 3' | 10.1 | ||||
NGC 1980 | Orion | 550 | 4.7 | 14' | 2.5 | [12] | |||
NGC 2158 | Gemini | 5,071 | 1,054 | 5' | 8.6 | ||||
Teutsch 2 | Auriga | 5,700 | 900 | 2' | 11 | ||||
NGC 6791 | Lyra | 5,853 | 8,900 | 16' | 9.5 | ||||
NGC 3293 | Carina | 2,750 | 8 | 8' | 4.7 | ||||
NGC 3766, Pearl Cluster | Centaurus | 1745 | 14 | 12' | 5.3 | ||||
NGC 7419 | Cepheus | 2,800 | 2' | 13 | |||||
NGC 7789, White Rose Cluster | Cassiopeia | 2,337 | 1,700 | 16' | 6.7 | [13] | |||
Gaia 1 | Canis Major | 4,600 | 6,300 | 13' | 8.3 | ||||
Ru 7 | Canis Major |