BEAUTY: 
BRAGGING RIGHTS: A beautiful sight
HOW EASY IS IT TO SEE? Best with a small telescope
BEST TIME TO SEE IT: Winter (in Puppis)
TYPE: Open Cluster
DISCOVERED: Before 1654 by Giovanni Hodierna
Ghost cluster. This faint but fascinating cluster contains almost 200 faint stars. In binoculars it appears as a faint haze, but a telescope at 25× resolves it into a circular patch of tiny stars. True to its open cluster nature, there is no core or concentration—just stars vaguely aware of each other, like the faded memory of a once-great realm. Find this cluster about 5 degrees south of Alpha Monocerotis.
NGC 2438. With a good telescope and moderate magnification, you might see a ghostly circle just a little north of the cluster’s center. This is NGC 2438, a planetary nebula that may or may not be associated with the cluster. Use averted vision and see if you can detect it.
