NGC 1981 explained

NGC 1981
Credit:	David St. Louis
Epoch:	J2000.0
Constellation:	Orion
Ra:	^[1]
Appmag V:	4.2^[2]
Dist Ly:	1,300^[3]
Dist Pc:	400
Size V:	28.00^[4]
Names:	OCL 525, Collinder 73^[5]

NGC 1981 (also known as OCL 525) is an open cluster which is located in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by John Herschel on 4 January 1827. Its apparent magnitude is 4.2 ^[2] and its size is 28.00 arc minutes. It lies to the north of the Orion Nebula, separated from it by the Sh2-279 region containing NGC 1973, 1975, and 1977.

Some say it looks like an alligator or crocodile, with its eastern star as the snout, its western star as its tail and the two groups of three stars in the middle of it as its two set of legs.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: NED results for object NGC 1981 *. NED. 27 November 2017.
2. Web site: NGC 1981 -- Open (galactic) Cluster. SIMBAD. 27 November 2017.
3. Web site: NGC1981: The often-overlooked open cluster in Orion. Eye on the sky. December 22, 2013. 27 November 2017. 6 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171206205527/http://eyesonthesky.com/Blog/tabid/80/EntryId/175/NGC1981-The-often-overlooked-open-cluster-in-Orion.aspx. dead.
4. Web site: Object: NGC 1981 (*). SEDS. 27 November 2017.
5. Web site: The open cluster NGC 1981. In the Sky. 27 November 2017.
6. News: Overlooked Wonders In Orion's Shadow. Sky and Telescope. February 10, 2016. 27 November 2017.