NGC 2126
| NGC 2126 | |
|---|---|
 Pan-STARRS image of NGC 2126 with annotation | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 06h 02m 37.9s[1] |
| Declination | 49° 52′ 59″[1] |
| Distance | 4,126 ly (1,265 pc)[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.2[2] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 6′[2] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Estimated age | 1.3 to 1.6 Gyr[3] |
| Other designations | NGC 2126, Melotte 39, Collinder 78[4] |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Auriga[2] |
NGC 2126 is a moderately rich[5] open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Auriga.[2] It was discovered on November 12, 1787 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.[6] This conglomeration is positioned around half way between the brighter stars Beta Aurigae and Xi Aurigae. It is a challenge to find in a small telescope, having stars of 13th magnitude and fainter.[7] NGC 2126 has an apparent visual magnitude of 10.2 and spans an angular size of 6 arcminutes.[2] It is located at an estimated distance of 4,126 light-years (1,265 pc).[1]
This cluster has a Trumpler class of III 2 m :b, indicating a fairly disparate set of stars (III), with a moderate range of brightness (2), and a medium number of stars (m). It is of intermediate age,[8] estimated at approximately 1.3 to 1.6 Gyr.[3] The cluster has a King core radius of 3.20 ± 0.68 ly (0.98 ± 0.21 pc) and tidal radius of 23.3 ± 5.2 ly (7.15 ± 1.59 pc).[9] After removing contaminating stars, a 2003 study by A. Gáspár and associates found 103 members within a radius of 8′.[5] As of 2024, a total of 129 stars have been identified that have a membership probability of at least 90%.[10]
In a field around the cluster, six variable stars were discovered by A. Gáspár and associates in 2003. These include two δ Scuti, two long period variables, an Algol variable, and a possible eclipsing binary with a pulsating component.[5] The variable count was increased by 16 in 2009 within a 1° field of view, including four eclipsing systems, at least one W UMa binary, and an RS CVn variable.[11][8] By 2025, data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite indicated there are 25 cluster member variables and 85 field variables within a 9 arcminute radius of NGC 2126.[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Tarricq, Y.; et al. (March 2021), "3D kinematics and age distribution of the open cluster population", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 647, id. A19, arXiv:2012.04017, Bibcode:2021A&A...647A..19T, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039388.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Finlay, Warren H. (2014), Concise Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects, The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series (2nd ed.), Springer Cham, p. 191, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-03170-5, ISBN 978-3-319-03169-9.
- 1 2 3 Dileep, Athul; et al. (April 2025), "Investigating pulsating variables and eclipsing binaries in NGC 2126 using ground- and space-based photometry, astrometry, spectroscopy, and modelling", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 538 (3): 1747–1772, arXiv:2502.18112, Bibcode:2025MNRAS.538.1747D, doi:10.1093/mnras/staf361.
- ↑ "NGC 2126", SIMBAD, Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2026-08-15.
- 1 2 3 Gáspár, A.; et al. (November 2003), "The first CCD photometric study of the open cluster NGC 2126", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 410: 879–885, arXiv:astro-ph/0308453, Bibcode:2003A&A...410..879G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20031311.
- ↑ Seligman, Courtney, "NGC Objects: NGC 2100 - 2149", Celestial Atlas, retrieved 2026-08-16.
- ↑ O'Meara, Stephen James (2007), Herschel 400 Observing Guide, Cambridge University Press, pp. 22–23, ISBN 978-0-521-85893-9.
- 1 2 Chehlaeh, N.; et al. (October 2018), "Photometric study and search for variable stars in the intermediate-age open cluster NGC 2126", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 480 (2): 1850–1863, Bibcode:2018MNRAS.480.1850C, doi:10.1093/mnras/sty1906.
- ↑ Kharchenko, N. V.; et al. (2013). "Global survey of star clusters in the Milky Way. II. The catalogue of basic parameters". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 558: A53. arXiv:1308.5822. Bibcode:2013A&A...558A..53K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322302. S2CID 118548517.
- ↑ Kos, Janez (2024), "Tidal tails of open clusters", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 691: A28, arXiv:2406.18767, Bibcode:2024A&A...691A..28K, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202449828.
- ↑ Liu, Shun-Fang; et al. (July 2009), "Variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126", Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 9 (7): 791–802, arXiv:0905.4337, Bibcode:2009RAA.....9..791L, doi:10.1088/1674-4527/9/7/008.
Further reading
[edit]- Chehlaeh, Nareemas; et al. (April 2018), "Binarity and Variable Stars in the Open Cluster NGC 2126", Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège, in Proceedings of the First Belgo-Indian Network for Astronomy & Astrophysics (BINA) workshop, November 2016, held in Nainital, India, vol. 87, pp. 216–223, Bibcode:2018BSRSL..87..216C.
- Zhang, X. B.; et al. (November 2012), "A Probable Hybrid γ Dor-δ Scuti Variable Discovered in the Open Cluster NGC 2126", The Astronomical Journal, 144 (5), id. 141, Bibcode:2012AJ....144..141Z, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/144/5/141.
- Liu, Nian (June 2012), "V551 Aur, an oEA binary with g-mode pulsations?", Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 12 (6): 671–677, Bibcode:2012RAA....12..671L, doi:10.1088/1674-4527/12/6/007.
- Cuffey, James (March 1943), "The Galactic Cluster NGC 2126 and NGC 2194", Astrophysical Journal, 97: 93, Bibcode:1943ApJ....97...93C, doi:10.1086/144501.
