Owl Cluster
Star cluster in Cassiopeia · 7,900 light-years
🔭 Explore Owl Cluster in the 3D map →View Owl Cluster images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Right ascension | 1h 19m 33s |
| Declination | +58° 17′ |
| Object distance | 7,900 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 6.4 |
| Apparent size | 7.8′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 17.9 light-years across |
| Also known as | C13 · NGC 457 |
Caldwell 13, popularly known as the Owl Cluster, is a star cluster (NGC 457) in Cassiopeia — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 13 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 7.8 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 6.4, it is a rewarding binocular and small-telescope target.
Although it appears about 7.8′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 17.9 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Owl Cluster
Owl Cluster lies in the constellation Cassiopeia and is best placed in the evening sky around October. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the northern hemisphere, and sits low for those far south. It is a comfortable target for binoculars and small telescopes.
See Owl Cluster in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Owl Cluster and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Pleiades — star cluster
- Hercules Cluster — star cluster
- Small Sgr Star Cloud — star cluster
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster