NGC 4337 (OC)
Open Cluster in Crux
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12h 24m 02.1s | -58° 07′ 13.1″ | 3.5′ | 8.9 | 11.4 | II3p | OC | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′
Background
NGC 4337 is an old ( 3 Gyr) open cluster in Crux, 5,500 light-years away. Notable for being one of just a handful of older open clusters that has survived in the high-density inner Galactic disc — most clusters this old in this part of the Galaxy have been disrupted by tidal interactions.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): At 9th magnitude, significantly fainter and smaller than the earlier targets of the night. The brighter core stars resolve easily; averted vision reveals more around the core. The FOV is framed by a side-on parabola of stars, with NGC 4337 sitting at the top of the parabola.(Thursday, April 2025)
References
Charts
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)