Messier 48 is an open cluster in Hydra, 2,440 light-years away
Messier 48 (M48, NGC 2548, Herschel 400 no. 114, MWSC 1454) is an open cluster in the constellation Hydra , 2,440 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 5.8 and spans 30′ of sky, about 21 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in March.
Open cluster: a loose group of a few dozen to a few thousand young stars born together from one cloud of gas. They drift apart over a few hundred million years and lie in the disk of the Milky Way.
Finding Messier 48 from Procyon
Procyon
Messier 48
HYDRA
Messier 48 lies 13.9° southeast of Procyon , the magnitude 0.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
Messier 48 is highest in the evening in March
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -1° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 0° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 27° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 54° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -65° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -62° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -75° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 62° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 74° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -83° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 83° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -82° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 67° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 84° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -73° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 75° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -64° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 65° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -47° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -54° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 84°N.
Messier 48 is 2,440 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 48 tonight left it about 2,440 years ago. It ranks 16 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of Messier 48
No other Messier, Caldwell or Herschel 400 object lies within 6°.
Messier 48 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M48, NGC 2548, Herschel 400 no. 114, MWSC 1454 Type open cluster Constellation Hydra Right ascension (J2000) 08h 13.7m Declination (J2000) -05° 45′ Magnitude 5.8 Apparent size 30′ True size 21 light-years Distance 2,440 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month March Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 26 Herschel 400 number 114
