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Open star cluster

The Jewel Box

Also NGC 4755 · Kappa Crucis Cluster · Caldwell 94

Open in Ouranos
The Jewel Box — ESO La Silla, visible light
ESO La Silla, visible light. Credit: ESO. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Source

A young open cluster in the Southern Cross with a mix of blue supergiants and one red supergiant.

Measured

Distance
6,500 light-years
Constellation
Crux
Position (J2000)
RA 12h 53m 42s, Dec −60.37°

How far, from the Sun

6,500 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light6,500 years
  • Voyager 1's speed116 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h70.2 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • John Herschel named it in the 1830s for its mix of coloured stars.
  • It is only about 16 million years old.

How it was found

  • Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille discovered it in 1752.

Where this comes from

  • Poggio et al. 2021, A&A 651, A104, Gaia EDR3 (1,992 pc)

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.