NGC 1981

{{Short description|Open cluster in the constellation Orion}}

{{Infobox open cluster

| name = NGC 1981

| image = M42 HaRGB Composite Feb 2012 P.jpg

| caption = NGC 1981 is the sparse scattering of bright stars without nebulosity at the top (north) of this image of the Orion Nebula region

| credit = David St. Louis

| epoch = J2000.0

| constellation = Orion

| ra = {{RA|05|35|09.6}}{{cite web|url=http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nph-objsearch?objname=NGC+1981|title=NED results for object NGC 1981 *|work=NED|access-date=27 November 2017}}

| dec = {{DEC|-04|25|30}}

| appmag_v = 4.2{{cite web|url=http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=NGC+1981|title=NGC 1981 -- Open (galactic) Cluster|work=SIMBAD|access-date=27 November 2017}}

| dist_ly = 1,300{{cite web|url=http://eyesonthesky.com/Blog/tabid/80/EntryId/175/NGC1981-The-often-overlooked-open-cluster-in-Orion.aspx|title=NGC1981: The often-overlooked open cluster in Orion|work=Eye on the sky|date=December 22, 2013|access-date=27 November 2017|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206205527/http://eyesonthesky.com/Blog/tabid/80/EntryId/175/NGC1981-The-often-overlooked-open-cluster-in-Orion.aspx|url-status=dead}}

| dist_pc = 400

| size_v = 28.00{{cite web|url=http://spider.seds.org/ngc/revngcic.cgi?NGC1981|title=Object: NGC 1981 (*)|work=SEDS|access-date=27 November 2017}}

| age =

| names = OCL 525, Collinder 73{{cite web|url=https://in-the-sky.org/data/object.php?id=NGC1981|title=The open cluster NGC 1981|work=In the Sky|access-date=27 November 2017}}

}}

NGC 1981 (also known as OCL 525) is an open cluster which is located in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by John Herschel on 4 January 1827. Its apparent magnitude is 4.2 and its size is 28.00 arc minutes. It lies to the north of the Orion Nebula, separated from it by the Sh2-279 region containing NGC 1973, 1975, and 1977.

Some say it looks like an alligator or crocodile, with its eastern star as the snout, its western star as its tail and the two groups of three stars in the middle of it as its two set of legs.{{cite news|url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/overlooked-wonders-in-orions-shadow02102016/|title=Overlooked Wonders In Orion's Shadow|work=Sky and Telescope|date=February 10, 2016|access-date=27 November 2017}}