* Astronomy

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: NGC 2362


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Collinder 136
Permalink  
 


NGC 2362 (also Tau Canis Majoris Cluster, OCL 633, ESO 492-SC9, Caldwell 64 and Collinder 136) is a magnitude +3.8 open cluster located about 4800 ±1600 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major.
The cluster contains around 60 stars, the brightest is Tau Canis Majoris.

The cluster was discovered by Italian astronomer Giovanni Batista Hodierna using a Galilean type refractor of unknown size (probably with an objective about 1 inch) sometime before 1654.
The cluster was rediscovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel using a 47.5 cm (18.7 inch) f/13 speculum reflector on the on the 4th March 1783.

Right Ascension  07h 18m 41.4s, Declination -24° 57' 15"

Read more

Spoiler



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
RE: NGC 2362
Permalink  
 


Eyes on the Sky: Mar 3 thru Mar 9

Spoiler



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

NGC 2362 in the constellation Canis Major transits at 00:20 UT, 7 January 2014 (for the UK)



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

Title: NGC 2362: The Terminus of Star Formation
Authors: S. E. Dahm

NGC 2362 is a richly populated Galactic cluster, devoid of natal molecular gas and dust. The cluster represents the final product of the star forming process and hosts an unobscured and near-complete initial mass function. NGC 2362 is dominated by the O9 Ib multiple star, tau CMa, as well as several dozen unevolved B-type stars. Distributed throughout the cluster are several hundred suspected intermediate and low-mass pre-main sequence members. Various post-main sequence evolutionary models have been used to infer an age of 5 Myr for the one evolved member, tau CMa. These estimates are in close agreement with the ages derived by fitting pre-main sequence isochrones to the contracting, low-mass stellar population of the cluster. The extremely narrow sequence of stars, which extends more than 9 mag in the optical colour-magnitude diagram, suggests that star formation within the cluster occurred rapidly and coevally across the full mass spectrum. Ground-based near infrared and H-alpha emission surveys of NGC 2362 concluded that most (~90%) of the low-mass members have already dissipated their optically-thick, inner(< 1 AU) circumstellar disks. Spitzer IRAC observations of the cluster have confirmed these results, placing an upper limit on the primordial, optically thick disk fraction of the cluster at 7(+/-)2%. The presence of circumstellar disks among candidate members of NGC 2362 is also strongly mass-dependent, such that no stars more massive than 1.2 Msun exhibit significant infrared excess shortward of 8 microns. The well-defined upper main sequence of NGC 2362, its large population of low-mass stars, and the narrow age spread evident in the colour-magnitude diagram ensure its role as a standard model of cluster as well as stellar evolution.

Read more (2960kb, PDF)

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.



Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard