Messier 48 (M48) is an open star cluster located in the constellation Hydra. It lies at a distance of roughly 1,500 light-years from Earth and spans about 20–25 light-years in diameter. The cluster contains several dozen stars and has an estimated age of 300–500 million years, making it moderately evolved for an open cluster. With an apparent magnitude of around 5.8, M48 is visible with binoculars under dark skies and resolves well into individual stars in small telescopes.