- NGC 2362 Tau Canis Majoris Cluster
NGC 2362 is a small (6 arc-min) open cluster of blue-white stars centered on the bright (visual magnitude 4.37) star τ in the constellation Canis Major. It contains around 60 member stars, most class O blue-white giants. This attests to the young age of the cluster, which is estimated to be only 4 to 5 million years. The distance to the cluster is given by most sources as around 4800 LY. At the center of the cluster, τ Canis Majoris is a multiple star system with at least 4 components, two of which are eclipsing binaries. It has been called the "Mexican Jumping Star" by some amateur astronomers because it appears to "jump around" within the field of the other cluster stars when viewed through the telescope. This is a visual effect caused by the marked difference in brightness between it and the other cluster stars.
NGC 2362 was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna some time before 1654. In was independently discovered by William Herschel in March of 1783.
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