m46

	M46

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	RA: 07:41.8 Dec: -14:49 Magnitude: 6.0 Distance: 5400 ly Constellation: Puppis	Scope: 8" SCT at f/10 Autoguider: ST-4 in faint mode Sky conditions: Good seeing and transparency but the early part of the night was windy. Camera: Hutech modified Canon 300D ISO1600 Exposure: 10 x 2 minutes Date: March 19, 2007
	Comments: This night started out with some wind gusts over 10 mph, but about the time alignment was done the wind died down a bit. Still the scope was a bit wind battered at times. M46 was the first object Charles Messier discovered after publishing the first edition of his list. It was added to the catalog on February 19, 1771. The cluster is very rich, with 150 stars of magnitude 10-13 and probably a total population of over 500. The cluster is about 300 million years old. A feature of interest that is in the field of view is the planetary nebula NGC2438. The derived distance of the nebula is about 2900 light years which would indicate that it is a foreground object.