| Messier 41 | |
| Epoch: | J2000 |
| Class: | Open cluster |
| Dist Ly: | 2,300 ly |
| Dist Pc: | 710 pc |
| Appmag V: | 4.5 |
| Size V: | 38 arcmin[1] |
| Radius Ly: | 12.5 ly |
| Age: | 190 million yrs[2] |
| Constellation: | Canis Major |
| Names: | M41, NGC 2287 |
Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. It is sometimes referred to as the Little Beehive Cluster.[3] It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and was perhaps known to Aristotle about 325 BC.[4] It lies about four degrees almost exactly south of Sirius, with which it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Nu2 Canis Majoris to the west - all three figure in the same field in binoculars.
The cluster covers an area about the size of the full Moon.[5] It contains about 100 stars, including several red giants the brightest of which has spectral type K3, apparent magnitude 6.3 and is near the center, and some white dwarfs.[6] [7] [8] The cluster is estimated to be moving away from us at 23.3 km/s.[9] The diameter of the cluster is 25-. It is estimated to be 190 million years old, and cluster properties and dynamics suggest a total life expectancy of 500 million years for this cluster, before it will have disintegrated.
Walter Scott Houston describes the appearance of the cluster in small telescopes:[10]
Many visual observers speak of seeing curved lines of stars in M41. Although they seem inconspicuous on photographs, the curves stand out strongly in my 10-inch [reflecting telescope], and the bright red star near the center of the cluster is prominent.
The bright red/orange star near the center is HIP 32406, a giant star of spectral type K2, about 1500 ly away of magnitude 6.9.