Astronz Object Of The Week: IC 2602 (Southern Pleiades)

IC 2602, commonly known as the Southern Pleiades, is an open star cluster in the constellation Carina. It lies about 480 light-years away and contains roughly 60 stars, most of them young and blue-white. This cluster is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere during autumn and winter months.

Visually, IC 2602 resembles the more famous Pleiades (M45) in Taurus, which is why it earned the nickname. However, unlike M45, the Southern Pleiades has a looser structure and lacks the same level of reflection nebulosity, making it appear clearer and more spread out. The brightest star in the cluster is Theta Carinae, a hot B-type star that stands out in small telescopes and binoculars.

IC 2602 spans over a degree of sky, which is about twice the width of the full moon. It is easily visible to the naked eye under dark skies and best appreciated with binoculars or a wide-field telescope, as higher magnification can break up the visual coherence of the cluster.

It’s located near the Carina Nebula and Eta Carinae, making this region one of the most active and rewarding areas to explore in the southern sky. If you are scanning the Milky Way this season, take the time to sweep across IC 2602 and compare it to its northern cousin.