Owl Cluster (NGC 457)
Also known as Owl Cluster · NGC 457
Owl Cluster (NGC 457) is an open star cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 7,920 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Position (J2000) | 1h 19m 32s, +58° 17′ |
| Distance | 7,920 light-years (its light set off about 7,920 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 6.4 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 15′ × 15′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 260 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Owl Cluster (NGC 457) is highest in the sky at midnight in October. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 52° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 82°. To see it you need binoculars.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Cassiopeia
- Bubble Nebula
- Cassiopeia A
- Heart Nebula
- M52 (NGC 7654)
- M103 (NGC 581)
- Pacman Nebula
- Soul Nebula
- Tycho's Supernova
Everything in Cassiopeia · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits