Clusters in Cassiopeia

Higher resolution image

Image information:

Date: 10/29/2022
Equipment: Moravian C1+ 12000A camera through Pentax-M* 67 300mm F/4 ED (IF) lens with IDAS HEUIB-II filter on Losmandy GM8 mount. The lens was working at f4.
Image type: OSC
Exposure time: 50X180s, gain 40
Comment:  

Object information:

Object designations:
  • NGC 663, Caldwell 10
  • NGC 654
  • NGC 659
  • IC 166
Object type:
 Open clusters
Object size:
  • NGC 663 - 16'
  • NGC 654 - 5'
  • NGC 659 - 6'
  • IC 166 - 8'
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Comment:

NGC 663 is a young open cluster, old between 20 and 25 million years. It contains about 400 stars in diameter of 30 ly. It is some 7000 ly distant from us.

NGC 654 is also a young cluster, its age is estimated to be between 15 and 40 million years. It contains some 80 stars in diameter of about 10 ly. Its distance is about 7800 ly.

Another young cluster is NGC 659 with age of about 20 million years. It consists of some 180 stars in diameter of 14 ly. It is about 8000 ly distant.

NGC 663, NGC 654 and NGC 659, together with nearby open cluster M103, are assumed to form part of the stellar association Cassiopeia OB8, that is located in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way.

At distance of about 1660 ly IC 166 is significantly further than the rest of the clusters on this image. It is also much older, its age is almost 1000 million years.

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