Southeast – Chart 3

SE Chart 3

LH OB Associations: –

NGC Objects: NGC 1841, 2012, 2161, 2173, 2190

Southeast Region Chart 3

Ancient globular cluster NGC 1841 is situated an astounding 14.5° south of the centre of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The other two far-flung objects are background galaxies.

Steve Gottlieb's observations

NGC 1841 (Ancient Globular Cluster)

RA 04 45 23.1 Dec -83 59 48 Mag 11.4 Size 2.4 Age ≥12 billion years

16″ at 228x: Ancient globular cluster NGC 1841 is situated an astounding 14.5° south of the centre of the Large Magellanic Cloud. In fact, it is not too far from the south polar star Sigma Octantis (roughly 6.5°), making it the southernmost globular in the sky. Lying in a star-sparse region of the sky, it appears as a fairly bright, round haze, brightening marginally to the centre, ~3′ in diameter. A couple of mag 16 stars are resolved on the edges of the hazy glow.

NGC 1841

NGC 2012 (Background Galaxy)

RA 05 22 35.4 Dec -79 51 07
Mag 12.9 Size 1.1′ x 0.6′ SB 12.5 PA 117°

16″ at 228x: NGC 2012 appears as a faint, even oval glow, elongated WNW-ESE, ~30″ x 15″.

NGC 2012

SL 620 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 36 29.0 Dec -74 24 18 Mag 12.6 Size 1.9′

16″ at 228x: SL 620 appears as a fairly faint, smooth and even glow, 45″ in diameter. A mag 16 star is resolved on the northeast edge.

SL 620

SL 625 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 37 09.0 Dec -73 04 24 Mag – Size 1.4′

16″ at 228x: SL 625 appears as an exceedingly faint, round, glow, first picked up with averted vision, ~15″ in diameter.

SL 625

IC 2146 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 37 46.0 Dec -74 47 00 Mag 12.4 Size 3.3′

16″ at 228x: IC 2146 appears fairly faint, round, 1.2′ in diameter. It appears slightly mottled and brightens slightly to the centre, and two mag 15 stars are resolved at the southeast edge. A mag 13.5 star lies at the north-northwest edge.

IC 2146

IC 2148 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 39 11.0 Dec -75 33 48 Mag 14.2 Size 1.3′

16″ at 228x: IC 2148 appears as a very faint, round, even glow, 20″ in diameter, with no stars resolved.

IC 2148

NGC 2144 (Background Galaxy)

RA 05 40 57.2 Dec -82 07 10
Mag 13.0 Size 1.4′ x 1.1′ SB 13.4 PA 93°

16″ at 228x: NGC 2144 appears as a fairly bright core, ~15-20″ in diameter, surrounded by a considerably fainter halo that appears slightly elongated NE-SW, 50″ x 40″.

NGC 2144

SL 723 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 47 45.0 Dec -73 10 06 Mag 13.6 Size 1.4′

16″ at 228x: SL 723 appears as a fairly bright, round glow, 25″ in diameter, with no stars resolved.

SL 723

SL 749 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 50 00.0 Dec -73 02 48 Mag 14.1 Size 1.6′

16″ at 228x: Mag 10.3 HD 271642 lies a mere 50″ SSE of SL 749, and it certainly washes out the cluster, which appears as a very, very faint, round glow, ~20 in diameter.

SL 749

SL 776 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 53 39.0 Dec -73 03 24 Mag 14.8 Size 1.8′

16″ at 228x: SL 776 appears as a very faint, round, glow, ~25″ in diameter.

SL 776

SL 783 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 54 39.0 Dec -74 36 18 Mag 13.9 Size 1.5′

16″ at 228x: SL 783 appears very faint, round, ~30″ in diameter.

SL 783

NGC 2161 (Young Globular Cluster)

RA 05 55 43.0 Dec -74 21 14 Mag 12.9 Size 2.3′ Age –

16″ at 228x: This young globular cluster lies in a barren patch of sky, 1° WNW of beautiful yellow mag 5.1 Alpha Mensae. It appears relatively bright, just off-round, ~1′ in diameter. It has an unusual appearance with what looks like a brighter central spine oriented WSW-ENE. I suspect a fortuitous gathering of bright, unresolved stars give us this appearance of a spine, and it certainly is very eye-catching in a globular cluster. (Open cluster IC 2161 lies only 47′ SSE from NGC 2161. This must surely be the only time an NGC- and an IC-object with the same numbers are so close to each other in the sky!)

NGC 2161

IC 2161 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 57 25.0 Dec -75 08 24 Mag 14.2 Size 1.6′

16″ at 228x: IC 2161 lies among some pretty stars. Mag 8.4 HD 41825 5.7′ SE, and a nice triangle of mag stars lies 3′ NNW. The cluster itself appears as a very faint, round glow, ~20-25″ in diameter.

IC 2161

SL 804 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 57 39.0 Dec -74 10 24 Mag 13.8 Size 1.9′

16″ at 228x: SL 804 appears very faint, round, ~30′ in diameter, with no stars resolved.

SL 804

NGC 2173 (Young Globular Cluster)

RA 05 57 58.9 Dec -72 58 42 Mag 11.9 Size 2.3′ Age 1.8 billion years

16″ at 228x: NGC 2173 appears as a fairly bright, round and smooth glow, ~1.2′ in diameter. There is a very slight brightening to the centre. No stars are resolved. The globular cluster forms the eastern apex of a noticeable triangle with mag 8 HD 40992 16′ NW and mag 8.5 HD 41024 15.5′ SW. And a pretty pair of mag 12 stars that lie 2.4′ ENE and 3.5′ ESE compliment the scene.

NGC 2173

NGC 2190 (Open Cluster)

RA 06 01 02.0 Dec -74 43 36 Mag 12.9 Size 2′

16″ at 228x: NGC 2190 appears as a fairly faint, round hazy glow, 1′ in diameter. It brightens somewhat to the centre. No stars are resolved. Mag 5.1 Alpha Men lies 36′ E.

NGC 2190

SL 828 (Open Cluster)

RA 06 02 13.0 Dec -74 11 24 Mag 13.7 Size 1.5′

16″ at 228x: It’s easy to locate SL 828 as it lies 4′ SSE of lovely orangey mag 8 HD 42230. The cluster appears as a faint, round, even glow, 35″ in diameter. No stars are resolved.