M 46
Scientific overview
M 46 is an open cluster in the constellation Puppis. It shines at apparent magnitude 6.1 and spans about 21 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 · NGC 2437
| Distance | 4,928 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 30.104801 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 54.544 ± 0.361 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 115.445 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -14.843889 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2021A&A...651A.104P · distance indicator: paral · catalogued value · source value 1511 pc · 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 · 2021MNRAS.504..356D · 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 Puppis
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 47M 47 · NGC 2422 | Open cluster | 4.4 | 19.8 |
| NGC 2477C 71 · NGC 2477 | Open cluster | 5.8 | 18.6 |
| M 93M 93 · NGC 2447 | Open cluster | 6.2 | 15 |
| NGC 2546NGC 2546 | Open cluster | 6.3 | 16.5 |
| NGC 2520NGC 2520 | Open cluster | 6.5 | 9.3 |
| NGC 2539NGC 2539 | Open cluster | 6.5 | 12.3 |
| NGC 2423NGC 2423 | Open cluster | 6.7 | 11.7 |
| NGC 2439NGC 2439 | Open cluster | 6.9 | 8.7 |
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.