Object Analysis

The Jewel Box (NGC 4755), also known as the Kappa Crucis Cluster, is an open cluster in the constellation Crux. It is one of the finest open clusters in the southern sky. It was named by John Herschel, who described it as a "casket of variously coloured precious stones."

The cluster is young, only about 14 million years old, and contains just over 100 stars. The brightest stars are supergiants, most of which are blue, but the cluster is famous for a solitary, bright red supergiant near the center that provides a striking color contrast.

Located 6,400 light-years away, the Jewel Box is visible to the naked eye as a hazy star near the Southern Cross's Beta star (Mimosa). In a telescope, the triangle of colorful stars is unmistakable.