NGC 2180 ([KPR2004b] 88*) Open Cluster in Orion

Located at: RA 06 hours 09 minutes 37 seconds, Dec +04 degrees 42 minutes 42 seconds

Size: 6.0'; Magnitude: --; Class: cluster?*

North is up

West to the right

Telescope:

 8" f5 Newtonian reflector

Camera:

  ST-8XME, self-guided, binned 1x1, temp -20c, camera control MaxIm DL 4.56
Image:

Lumicon Red filter, 180 minutes  (18 x 10 minute subs) 01/8/2010; seeing 2.5-2.9 FWHM per CCDStack
Processing:

CCDStack 1.6.0.6, Photoshop 7.0
Location:

 Rolling Roof Observatory, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 (+34d 13m 29s -118h 52m 20s)
Notes:* Listed in my charting program (Megastar v5.12.0) with a questionable object classification. However; the Comments entry from "Star Clusters", by Brent Archinal & Steven Hynes is: "Skiff: Okay, define cluster center better from visual observation?"

From the NGC / IC Project:

Contemporary Visual Observation(s) for NGC 2180
NGC 2180
06 09 37.6 +04 43 03

18" (3/5/05): large, scattered group viewed at 115x with the 31 Nagler.  Most 
distinctive is a "candy-cane" loop of a dozen mag 10-11 stars which closely wrap 
around to the east of mag 7.9 HD 29212 and then extends in a string to the NW 
ending in two mag 10 stars.  A scattering of brighter stars in the vicinity 
increase the apparent diameter to perhaps 20'x15', though besides the half-dozen 
or so brighter stars this appears to be an asterism.  A half-dozen mag 8.5-10 
stars 10' to 12' E and N from the mag 7.1 star roughly define an eastern border 
to the group.  Listed as nonexistent in the RNGC. though this may be an evolved, 
open cluster remnant that is partially stripped of former members.

- by Steve Gottlieb
* CDS other name