IC 2714 (OC)

Open Cluster in Carina
R.A.Dec.SizeMag SBCnt.StTypeDistanceChart
11h 17m 28.8s-62° 44′ 14.5″15.0′8.213.8II3mOC----
IC 2714 DSS plate
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′

Background

IC 2714 is a moderately rich open cluster about 4,000 light-years away,  60 confirmed members. It pairs visually with the looser, smaller Mel 104 — the two together provide a striking contrast in apparent density.

My Observing Notes

30-cm (SkyWatcher 12-inch f/5): Drawing a line from IC 2602 toward λ Cen, panned about halfway along to pick up an unresolved hazy mass — IC 2714. With the 35 mm Panoptic both IC 2714 and Mel 104 fit in the same field, making for a lovely contrast: IC 2714 is the larger, relatively dense disk of 60+ stars.(10 April 2026)

References

Charts

IC 2714 ultra-wide chart
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
IC 2714 wide-field chart
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
IC 2714 finderscope view
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
IC 2714 eyepiece view
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)