Thursday October 31, 2024

The Spooky Owl Cluster (all night)

One of my favorite spooky objects can be seen in binoculars or a backyard telescope on autumn evenings. It's one of the many bright, open star clusters in the W-shaped of Cassiopeia, the Queen, which you'll find in the
northeastern sky. NGC 457, better known as the Owl Cluster, ET Cluster, or Dragonfly Cluster, is dominated by two prominent, close-together, yellow stars (Phi Cas and HD 7902) that form the eyes, a sprinkling of dimmer stars for the body and feet, and two curved chains of stars that look like upswept wings.
The critter is positioned with its head pointing away from Cassiopeia, which circles the north celestial pole, so it rotates through the night. The cluster occupies the 90 degree corner of a right-angle triangle that is completed by the stars Gamma Cas and Ruchbah. It's about two finger widths above (or 2 degrees to the celestial south-southwest of) Ruchbah - as if the queen is bouncing the baby owl on her knee!

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: CJ's Place, Orange City FL > cjsplace.thruhere.net (954:100/61)