M37

From South Dublin Astronomical Society

M37
Type	Open cluster
NGC	NGC 2099
Constellation	Auriga
Right Ascension	5h 52.4m
Declination	+32° 33’
Magnitude	6
Size	24 arc min.
Image:M37 messier image.jpg

M37 lies the other side of the reference point we used to jump off to find M36 and M38. The cluster is particularly rich and successively larger instruments will resolve more and more stellar pinpricks against the general background glow of this swarm. The combined light of its members is equivalent to a magnitude 6·2 star. M37 contains an estimated 500 stars and is the most remote of the Auriga trio at 4,400 light years. All are actually at a comparable distance but we know they are not associated by virtue of the fact that they are dissimilar in age. The youngest is M36 with an estimated age of 25 million years. Next is M38 whose stars are about 220 million years old. M37, on the other hand, contains some red giants and is believed to have formed some 300 million years ago.