Melotte 111
Melotte 111 is the Coma Berenices Star Cluster. It is located in the constellation of Coma Berenices. This open cluster is located 288 light-years away from us and is estimated to be 450 million years old. It is the third nearest star cluster after the Ursa Major Moving Cluster and the Hyades. The cluster contains 40 stars from magnitude 5 to 10, with the brightest being magnitude 4.35. It is easily visible to the unaided eye, approximately at the center of a large circle formed by the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper and Arcturus. Galaxy NGC 4565 can be seen to the lower left, and NGC 4559 to the upper left. Melotte 111 was cataloged by Ptolemy 138 A.D. It was listed by Philibert Jacques Melotte in 1915 in his catalog of 245 star clusters found on photographic plates taken by John Franklin-Adams. Mel 111 is not listed in Charles Messier's catalog, nor in the New General Catalog or Index Catalog. It was not proven to be a true cluster until 1938 by R. J. Trumpler. North is to the top in the above image.
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