NGC 2281 is an open star cluster in the constellation of Auriga. It’s best viewed during the late winter months into early spring.
You see the central stars make a diamond shape. Also, one will notice a mix of red and blue stars, which makes this relatively unknown cluster of 30-40 stars a worthy find.
My Observations
November 7, 2020 | 12:35 a.m.
Seattle, Washington, USA
Meade LX65 8″ ACF, 18mm eyepiece
Even though I know this cluster is larger than it looks based on my reading, NCG 2281 is only showing me a handful of prominent stars on this night due to fair seeing conditions at the moment. In the middle, I do notice the diamond asterism mentioned by other observers.
Key Stats
| When to view | Feb-Apr | R.A. (2021) | 6h 49m 45s |
| Constellation | Auriga | Dec (2021) | +41° 02′ 34″ |
| Visual Magnitude | +5.40 | Distance | 1,800 ly |
| Absolute Magnitude | -3.33 | Age | ? |
| Apparent Size | 25 arcmin | Milky Way Locations | Orion Spur |
| Diameter | 13 ly | My Viewing Grade | B- |
Sources
NGC 2281 banner photo provided by Roberto Mura and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
The Garden Astronomer 
