M 41
Scientific overview
M 41 is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. It shines at apparent magnitude 4.5 and spans about 12 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · M 41
| Distance | 2,153 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 7.514104 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 23.37 ± 0.12 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 101.499167 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -20.716111 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2022MNRAS.509..421N · distance indicator: paral · catalogued value · source value 0.66 kpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Canis Major
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 2362C 64 · NGC 2362 | Open cluster | 4.1 | 7.2 |
| NGC 2354NGC 2354 | Open cluster | 6.5 | 4.8 |
| Caroline's ClusterC 58 · NGC 2360 | Open cluster | 7.2 | 9 |
| NGC 2384NGC 2384 | Open cluster | 7.4 | 4.8 |
| NGC 2345NGC 2345 | Open cluster | 7.7 | 6.9 |
| NGC 2367NGC 2367 | Open cluster | 7.9 | 5.4 |
| NGC 2374NGC 2374 | Open cluster | 8 | 9 |
| NGC 2383NGC 2383 | Open cluster | 8.4 | 4.2 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.