NGC 2158

NGC 2158
NGC 2158 to the lower right of M35
Credit: 2MASS/NASA
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension06h 07m 25s
Declination+24° 05.8
Distance11,000+ ly
Apparent magnitude (V)8.6
Apparent dimensions (V)5 arcmin
Physical characteristics
Radius8 ly
Estimated age~2 billion yrs
Associations
ConstellationGemini

NGC 2158 is an open cluster in the constellation of Gemini. It is, in angle, immediately southwest of open cluster Messier 35, and is believed to be about 2 billion years old. The two clusters are unrelated, as the subject is around 9,000 light years further away.

Once thought to be a globular cluster, it is now known to be an intermediate-age, metal-poor open cluster that is a member of the old thin disk population.