---
title: "NGC 3909"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-3909"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 3909 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-3909"
---

# NGC 3909

NGC 3909 is an open [cluster](https://spacecatalog.org/clusters) in the constellation [Centaurus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/centaurus). Other catalogues list it as MWSC 1979. It was discovered in 1835.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Open cluster
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 6.6′ — About 0.2 of the full Moon's width.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Centaurus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/centaurus) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Open cluster |
| CONSTELLATION | Centaurus |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 11h 50m 08.1s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −48° 14′ 17.3″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1835 |

## Catalogue data

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Major axis | 6.6′ |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | John Frederick William Herschel |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | OCl |
| Wikidata item | Q84281527 |

## Also known as

- MWSC: MWSC 1979
- NGC: NGC 3909

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. NGC 3909 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-3909

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-3909,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 3909}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-3909},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-3909