H-NGC1662
Open Cluster in Orion
About
An open cluster in Orion with a loose, weakly bound structure, about 1,400 light-years from us, discovered by William Herschel in 1784 and also listed as Collinder 55. Its age is uncertain; recent studies favour about 400 million years. Amateurs call it the Klingon Battlecruiser Cluster.
Imaging tips
- About 20′ across: 1210–2020 mm on APS-C, or 1860–3090 mm on full frame, frames it.
- One imager used 13 × 3 min luminance and 9 × 1.5 min per colour channel with a 106 mm f/5 refractor, covering a 55′ field.
- Another stacked 1.75 hours of RGB only, 35 minutes per channel, on an astrograph at f/3.7, and cropped the result.
- Best in November and December. It sits near the celestial equator and peaks near 51° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 20′
- Magnitude
- 6.4
- Coordinates
- RA 4h 48.8m, Dec +10° 53′
- Framing, APS-C
- 1210–2020 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 1860–3090 mm
- Best months
- Nov, Dec
- Peak altitude
- 51° from 50°N, 66° from 35°N