NGC 5281
| NGC 5281 | |
|---|---|
NGC 5269 (right) and NGC 5281 (left) Credit: legacy surveys | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 13h 46m 35s |
| Declination | −62° 55′ 00″ |
| Distance | 4,200 ly (1,300 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.9 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 7' |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Estimated age | 45 million years |
| Other designations | vdBH 152, Collinder 276, Melotte 120 |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
NGC 5281 is an open cluster in the constellation Centaurus. It was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1751-1752 from South Africa, and catalogued it as Lacaille I.7. NGC 5281 is located three and a quarter degrees southwest of Beta Centauri. Under dark skies, it is bright enough to be spotted with naked eye, appearing as a 6th magnitude star.