NGC 2169

Open Cluster NGC 2169 (= H VIII.24 = Collinder 83), type 'd', in Orion

Right Ascension 06 : 08.4 (h:m)
Declination +13 : 57 (deg:m)
Distance 3.6 (kly)
Visual Brightness 5.9 (mag)
Apparent Dimension 7 (arc min)

Perhaps discovered by Hodierna before 1654. Discovered by William Herschel in 1784.

Possibly, this cluster was another discovery of Hodierna. However, his description is not sufficient for a safe identification. Anyway, this cluster was independently discovered by William Herschel on October 15, 1784 and cataloged by him as H VIII.24.

At its distance of about 3600 light-years (according to the Sky Catalogue 2000.0), open cluster NGC 2169 appears under a diameter of about 7 arc minutes and a total brightness of 5.9 magnitudes. The brightest of its about 30 stars is of magnitude 6.94, the hottest of spectral type B1, indicating an age of about 50 million light-years. It is involved in diffuse nebulosity, the nebula cataloged as Ced 78. Its Trumpler classification is I 3 p n. It is receding from us at 16 km/s.

  • Jean-Claude Mermilliod's WEBDA cluster page for NGC 2169
  • SIMBAD Data of NGC 2169
  • Publications on NGC 2169 (NASA ADS)
  • Observing Reports for NGC 2169 (IAAC Netastrocatalog)
  • NGC Online data for NGC 2169

    Hartmut Frommert
    Christine Kronberg
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    Last Modification: February 1, 2002