Messier 41 is an open cluster in Canis Major, 2,330 light-years away
Messier 41 (M41, NGC 2287, MWSC 0978) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major , 2,330 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 4.5 and spans 38′ of sky, about 26 light-years across. It is visible to the naked eye from a dark site, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
Open cluster: a loose group of a few dozen to a few thousand young stars born together from one cloud of gas. They drift apart over a few hundred million years and lie in the disk of the Milky Way.
Finding Messier 41 from Sirius
Sirius
Messier 41
CANIS MAJOR
Messier 41 lies 4.0° south of Sirius , the magnitude -1.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 41 is highest in the evening in February
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -54° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 0° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -80° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -64° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -59° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -87° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -79° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -56° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 79° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 89° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 65° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 81° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 65° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 71° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 69°N, and never sets south of 69°S.
Messier 41 is 2,330 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 41 tonight left it about 2,330 years ago. It ranks 14 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of Messier 41
No other Messier, Caldwell or Herschel 400 object lies within 6°.
Messier 41 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M41, NGC 2287, MWSC 0978 Type open cluster Constellation Canis Major Right ascension (J2000) 06h 46.0m Declination (J2000) -20° 45′ Magnitude 4.5 Apparent size 38′ True size 26 light-years Distance 2,330 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month February Best with Naked eye Messier marathon order 21
