NGC 2262, Open Star Cluster
NGC 2262 is an open star cluster in the constellation Monoceros (Unicorn), which was discovered by F.W. Herschel in December 1786. It is located at a
relatively large distance of 11,700 light-years and has a brightness of 11.7mag and an apparent diameter of 4' ('arc minutes').
The cluster is 13 light-years across and contains around 900 stars. The brightest is 12.7mag, which corresponds to an absolute magnitude of M=+0.02mag
and a luminosity of 85 suns. The age of NGC 2262 is estimated to be 1 billion years.
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My 20" f/3 telescope shows a small, faint star cluster that appears roundish. At 210x about 10-15 faint single stars with less than 14mag can be seen - at
270x a few more stars flash out. The background appears grainy, which is an indication of many faint stars. Overall, NGC 2262 looks like glittering stardust.
