By Natalie Campbell
Messier 46 is a fascinating open cluster located in the constellation Puppis. This photo was taken on a Planewave CDK 12.5 telescope. It has a very high-end instrument designed for serious astronomers. The 12.5-inch aperture and a unique Corrected Dall-Kirkham optical design, provide a flat field and excellent image quality across a wide field of view. It’s a great choice for deep space and M-46 since It’s estimated to be about 5,545 light-years away from Earth. M-46 is also estimated to be around 300 million years old. Its cluster is made up of almost 500 stars.
Messier 46 is actually a young star, which means that it’s burning brightly and has not yet exhausted its fuel. This star is excellent for new astronomers to study due to its early stages of star formation and evolution. By studying its properties, we can gain valuable insights into the universe’s processes. It contains a planetary nebula, which is a cloud of gas and dust that is illuminated by a dying star. We analyze the age, temperature, and luminosity of the star in Messier 46, that way astronomers can piece together a detailed picture of how these stars are formed and evolved over time.
M-46 was first discovered back in 1771 by the French astronomer Charles Messier. Charles Messier was a French astronomer best known for his work cataloging astronomical objects. He is most famous contribution to astronomy is the Messier Catalog, which is a list of over 100 astronomical. He was known for his work observing comets, he is credited with discovering 13 comets in total.