NGC 2281 is popularly known as the Broken Heart Cluster. It is a bright open star cluster. It is located in the northern constellation of Auriga. Located in the eastern part of Auriga. It is southeast of the star Menkalinan and about halfway between Castor, Pollux, and Capella.
Estimated to be between 435 and 660 million years old. Recent 2023 studies suggest an age of 435 ± 50 million years. This makes it similar in age to clusters like M37 and M48.
NGC 2281 is often described as having a sparse but pleasing arrangement of stars. Notable visual features include:
Central Rhombus: A prominent group of four stars forming a parallelogram or diamond shape at its center.
Member Stars: Contains more than 400 cataloged members. The brightest stars are mostly white A-type stars, with a few evolved red and yellow giants.
Besides the “Broken Heart,” some observers describe the arrangement as resembling a “floppy fish” or the Greek letter lambda (λ).
This image contains 114 60s subs captured using APT for acquisition and session automation. Telescope – Skywatcher Esprit 120ED; Camera – ZWO ASI2600MC Pro; Filter – Antlia Quad light pollution filter; Mount Skywatcher Eq6r Pro
