NGC 3532

Open Cluster NGC 3532 (= Lacaille II.7 = Dunlop 323 = Melotte 103 = Collinder 238), type 'f', in Carina

The Wishing Well Cluster

[NGC 3532, Mischa Schirmer]
Right Ascension 11 : 06.4 (h:m)
Declination -58 : 40 (deg:m)
Distance 1.3 (kly)
Visual Brightness 3.0 (mag)
Apparent Dimension 55 (arc min)

Discovered by Nicholas Louis de Lacaille 1752.

The considerable southern open cluster NGC 3532 is one of the Southern Sky's finest Jewels.

NGC 3532 was discovered by Nicholas Louis de Lacaille on January 25, 1752 from South Africa, and cataloged as Lacaille II.7.

NGC 3532 got it's nickname "The Wishing Well Cluster" because the twinkling stars in this Open Cluster resemble silver coins shimmering at the bottom of a Wishing Well.

Above image was obtained by Mischa Schirmer. It was taken on July 1, 2000 from Hakos Farm, Namibia (at 1820m above sea level), with a CG11 at f/6.5, exposed 50 min on Kodak EliteChrome 200 unhypered.

  • More info on this image (Mischa Schirmer)
  • More images by Mischa Schirmer

    [NGC 3532 by Ray Palmer] The image on the right was obtained by Ray Palmer. It was taken on March 3rd, 2006 from Perth, Western Australia, with a Takahashi Epsilon 160 mounted on a Losmandy G-11at f/3.3, exposed for 10 min on Kodak Elite Chrome 200 unhypered.

  • More info on this image (Ray Palmer)
  • More images by Ray Palmer

    In the Astronomical League's Southern Sky Binocular Club list. Caldwell 91 in Patrick Moore's list.

  • Jean-Claude Mermilliod's WEBDA cluster page for NGC 3532
  • SIMBAD Data of NGC 3532
  • Publications on NGC 3532 (NASA ADS)
  • Observing Reports for NGC 3532 (IAAC Netastrocatalog)
  • NGC Online data for NGC 3532


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    Last Modification: June 23, 2006