M41

Object Type: Open Cluster
Scope: APO 80mm; Exposure 35 minutes.

Messier 41 (NGC 2287) is a bright open star cluster in Canis Major, about 2,300 light-years away, lying roughly four degrees south of Sirius. It was recorded by Giovanni Hodierna before 1654 and may have been noted by Aristotle around 325 BC. Spanning about the size of the full Moon, it contains around 100 stars, including several red giants, and is estimated to be some 190 million years old.