NGC 3532

NGC 3532
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Carina
Right ascension 11h 05m 33s[1]
Declination 58° 43.8[1]
Distance 1,321[2] ly (405 pc)
Physical characteristics
Other designations

NGC 3532,[1] C 1104-584, Cl* 1104-584, CL 1104-584, Caldwell 91, Melotte 103,[3] Lacaille II.10,[3] Lac II.10, Football Cluster, Wishing Well Cluster.[4][5][6][7]

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NGC 3532, also commonly known as the Football Cluster[8][9] or the Wishing Well Cluster,[4][5][6][7] is an open cluster some 405 parsecs from Earth[2] in the constellation Carina. Its population of approximately 150 stars of 7th magnitude or fainter includes seven red giants[10] and seven white dwarfs.[11][12] On 20 May 1990 it became the first target ever observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. A line from Beta Crucis through Delta Crucis passes somewhat to the north of NCG 3532. The cluster lies between the constellation Crux and the larger but fainter "False Cross" asterism. The 4th-magnitude Cepheid variable star x Carinae (V382 Car) appears near the southeast fringes, but it lies between the Sun and the cluster and is not a member of the cluster.

The cluster was first catalogued by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1751. It was admired by John Herschel, who thought it one of the finest star clusters in the sky,[3][13] with many double stars (binary stars).[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "NGC 3532". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  2. 1 2 Robichon, N.; et al. (2005). "Open clusters with Hipparcos. I. Mean astrometric parameters". Astronomy and Astrophysics 345: 471–484. arXiv:astro-ph/9903131. Bibcode:1999A&A...345..471R.
  3. 1 2 3 Deep Sky Observer's Companion – the online database, DOCdb Lacaille II.10
  4. 1 2 Nemiroff, Robert; Bonnell, Jerry (26 February 2010). "Chasing Carina". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 Hook, Richard (26 November 2014). "A Colourful Gathering of Middle-aged Stars". European Southern Observatory. ESO. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  6. 1 2 Kramer, Miriam (26 November 2014). "Wishing Well Star Cluster Sparkles in Colorful New Views". Space.com. Space.com. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  7. 1 2 Frommert, Hartmut; Kronberg, Christine (23 June 2006). "NGC 3532". SEDS Messier Database. SEDS. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. Amateur Astronomer Association of New York, Nebula of the Month - Carina's Football
  9. IceInSpace - Australian Amateur Astronomy, Challenge Objects - June 2005, 2005
  10. Claria, J.J., Lapasset, E., (1988) "A UBV and DDO astrophysical study of the open cluster NGC3532", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 235, 1129-1139
  11. Reimers, D., Koester, D., (1989) "Spectroscopic identification of white dwarfs in galactic clusters. V - NGC 3532", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 218, 118-122
  12. Dobbie, P., Day-Jones, A., Williams, K., Casewell, S., Burleigh, M., Lodieu, N., Parker, Q., Baxter, R. (2012) "Further investigation of white dwarfs in the open clusters NGC2287 and NGC3532", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 423, 2815-2828
  13. Herschel, J. (1847). Results of Astronomical Observations Made During the Years 1834, 5, 6, 7, 8, at the Cape of Good Hope. London, Smith, Elder &Co.
  14. ScienceDaily, "A colorful gathering of middle-aged stars", European Southern Observatory, 26 November 2014

External links

Coordinates: 11h 05m 12s, −58° 44′ 1″



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