Celestial Objects
Messier 46
Star Clusters
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Messier 46, also known as M46 or NGC 2437, is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Puppis, discovered by Charles Messier in 1771 and described by the astronomer J. L. E. Dreyer as very bright, very rich and very large. It lies about 5,000 light-years away and holds an estimated 500 stars with a combined mass of about 453 solar masses, at a mid-range age estimate of roughly 251 million years.
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