Open Cluster NGC1502

Description:

An open star cluster in the constellation Camelopardalis (the "giraffe"). This cluster forms the end of an asterism consisting of a virtually straight line of 20 stars that spans the constellation. This asterism is now known as "Kemble's Cascade" in honor of a priest who first called attention to it in a letter he wrote to astronomer popularizer Walter Houston.

 Houton was so impressed that he wrote an article in a 1980 edition of Sky & Telescope magazine in which he described the asterism and named it "Kemble's Cascade" in honor of Father Kemble.

 The cluster contains about 45 stars, including two prominent double stars, Struve 484 and Struve 485.

Image Name:

Open Cluster NGC1502

Date Taken:

September 3, 2010

Location Taken:

Conditions of Location:

Equipment Used:

14.5" Ritchey-Chretien telescope, SBIG STL11000 CCD camera, Astrodon RGB filters, TCC, PIR, remote guide head used with Takahashi Sky90 for autoguiding, T-Point used for polar alignment (required for each imaging session due to my portable setup).

Processing Used:

5 x 60 seconds RBG plus 10 x 90 seconds luminance, guided exposure (total exposure time of 30 min), 1x1 binning, processed in Maxim DL and Photoshop.

Distance from Location:

3,000 light years

Constellation:

Camelopardalis (the "giraffe")

Other Link:

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