Two observations in my log for the Jewel Box, back in 2008 during my first visit to Sutherland, South Africa, in the early days... I mean nights of my astronomy 'career'.

The morning of 8 January, using a 5" Mak @ 106x / 36', the colors of some of the brightest stars in the cluster were notable:

Quite detached and quite concentrated, not especially rich. In the NNW and ENE part fewer stars are visible than there are in other parts of the cluster. The color difference of the stars in the cluster is notable: there is a white-yellow star in the NNW part, just NNE of the middle is the orange-red star CD-59 04459, just WSW thereof is a yellow star, SSW of the middle is white-yellow star, to the ENE is a pale orange star, NNE of the orange-red star is another pale orange star, otherwise there are many mag. 9 and fainter stars with unresolved stars in the background.

The following night using 10x50 binos:

Through binoculars it is notable that the cluster has a triangular shape: the brightest stars form a triangle pointing just south of the star Beta Crucis (that is towards the NW). In the tip of the triangle is a yellow star, centrally in the WSW leg is an orange star, on the SSE side is a white star.


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Here's the guide.