This cluster has anangular diameter of10′[8] and a core radius of3.2′.[9] It has a mass of roughly746 M☉ and a lineartidal radius of 10.6 ± 1.6parsecs (34.6 ± 5.2 ly).[3] Based uponphotometry, the age of the cluster has been estimated by Wuet al. (2009) as 25.1 Myr[1] and26.3+3.2 −5.2 Myr by Bell et al. (2013). The luminosity of the stars that have not yet depleted their lithium implies an age of22±4 Myr, in good agreement with these older estimates.[9]
M36 includes ten stars with a visual magnitude brighter than 10,[9] and 178 down to magnitude 14.[8] 38 members display aninfrared excess, with one being particularly high.[10] There is one candidateB-typevariable star, of 9th magnitude.[11]
A 2020 study of the variable stars in the cluster estimated a new closer distance of 3,800 light years from Earth.[12]
The YSO Holoea in M36 and the outflow at different wavelengths.
Ayoung stellar object with an outflow, associated with the infrared sourceIRAS 05327+3404 was discovered in optical observations of M36. The outflow is nicknamed "Holoea",Hawaiian for "flowing gas". Despite appearing close to M36 it is probably not a part of M36 .It may be a member of the more distant S235 region. The young star driving the outflow was classified as transitional betweenclass I and class II and appears to be surrounded by large amounts ofcircumstellar material.[13]
^Frommert, Hartmut; Kronberg, Christine (August 25, 2007),"Messier 36",The Messier Catalog, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), retrieved2018-11-24.
^abSanner, J.; et al. (May 2000), "Photometric and kinematic studies of open star clusters. II. NGC 1960 (M 36) and NGC 2194",Astronomy and Astrophysics,357:471–483,arXiv:astro-ph/0003327,Bibcode:2000A&A...357..471S.
^Delgado, A. J.; et al. (October 1984), "Search for B-Type Variable Stars in Open Clusters",Information Bulletin on Variable Stars,2603: 1,Bibcode:1984IBVS.2603....1D.
