NGC 4349 (OC)
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12h 24m 10.3s | -61° 52′ 31.1″ | 15.0′ | 7.4 | 13.0 | II2m | OC | -- | -- |
Background
NGC 4349 is a moderately bright open cluster 6,600 light-years away in Crux, sitting just south of Acrux (α Cru). About 200 million years old with 30 confirmed members. One of several pretty open clusters dotted around the southern Crux–Centaurus–Carina region.
(Note: the original observing log referred to this object as “NGC 4339”, but the description and pointing match NGC 4349; NGC 4339 is in fact a Virgo galaxy.)
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Telrad pointed halfway between α and γ Cru. Easily picks up a ball of stars in the finderscope. 20' across — takes up a good portion of the FOV in the 35 mm Panoptic. A loose collection of 30 stars in a circular pattern rising to a slightly denser core. One yellow/orange star in the top-right corner of the cluster jumped out; averted vision brought out more stars in the core.(Saturday, August 2025)
References
Charts
