aka NGC 1960, is an open cluster of stars in the somewhat northern Auriga constellation.
It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654, who described it as a nebulous patch. The cluster was independently re-discovered by Guillaume Le Gentil in 1749, then Charles Messier observed it in 1764 and added it to his catalogue.
It is about 1,330 pc (4,340 light years) away from Earth. The cluster is very similar to the Pleiades cluster (M45), and if as far away it would be of similar apparent magnitude.

This cluster has an angular diameter of 10′ and a core radius of 3.2′. It has a mass of roughly 746 M☉

M36 includes ten stars with a visual magnitude brighter than 10, and 178 down to magnitude 14.