M50

M50 or Messier 50, also known as NGC 2323, is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Monoceros. It was recorded by G. D. Cassini before 1711 and independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1772 while observing Biela’s Comet. It is sometimes described as a ‘heart-shaped’ figure or a blunt arrowhead.

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M50 is about 2,900 light-years away from Earth and is near to but narrowly not estimated to be gravitationally tied to the Canis Major (CMa) OB1 association

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Keywords: M50, Messier, open cluster, Monoceros