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Lambda Orionis Cluster (Collinder 69) at 360pc

Lambda Orionis Cluster (Collinder 69) at 360pc

Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello

 

Meissa: RA 05h 35m 08,278s DEC +09° 56′ 02,96″

Lambda Orionis Cluster (also known as Collinder 69 or Orion OB2) is a brilliant star association that forms the head of the mythological figure of Orion.

The OB association is formed by a small group of blue main sequence stars, the brightest of which is λ Orionis (Meissa), sometimes used to name the entire cluster.

Cr69 is young and contains a large number of low-mass stars, some T Tauri and brown dwarfs.

The whole group is surrounded by a shell-like reflection nebula.

The yellow star, the φ² Ori, is actually just over 100 light years away and is closer, in fact the cluster is 1600 light years away.

 

 

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Uploaded on January 11, 2023
Taken on January 30, 2025