NGC 2477


NGC 2477 is an open cluster in the constellation Puppis. It contains about 300 stars, and was discovered by Abbé Lacaille in 1751. The cluster's age has been estimated at about 700 million years.

Visual appearance

NGC 2477 is a stunning cluster, almost as extensive in the sky as the full moon. It has been called "one of the top open clusters in the sky", like a highly resolved globular cluster without the dense center characteristic of globular clusters. Burnham notes that several observers have remarked on its richness, and that although it is smaller than M46, it is richer and more compact.

Distance

Burnham cites several published distances, ranging from to, where "ly" is the abbreviation for light year.