M46, Puppis, Stellarvue SV78S f6, MX7C, IDAS, 5min

M47 is another fine open cluster in the constellation Puppis.  It contains the planetary nebula NGC 2438 on its northern edge.  The nebula is thought to be closer to us than the cluster.  The central star of the nebula is around 16th mag visually but easy to photograph due to its strong radiation in the blue and ultraviolet.  The star has a estimated temperature of 75,000deg K and is thought to be one of the hottest stars known.  The estimated distance to the cluster is around  5000 light years.

Object details: M 46, NGC 2437, Open Cluster, RA: 07h 41m 47.0s, Dec: -14° 48' 36", Mag: 6.1, Size: 27.0', Class: II 2 r