Kemble's Cascade & NGC 1502
A striking asterism forming a chain of about 20 stars (magnitudes 5 to 9) spanning 2.5 degrees, ending at the small open cluster NGC 1502 (mag 6.0). A delightful binocular sight.
Asterism and cluster in Camelopardis. Magnitude 6.0.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 34° above the northern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 31° above the northern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 20 Nov, in the middle of its season. The page works out tonight's rise, highest point and set for both towns in Guyana time (UTC-4), and where the Moon is.
What you'll see
- Your eyes: Needs binoculars.
- 10x50 binoculars: Binoculars show many more of its stars than the eye.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 8′, 26% of the Moon's width (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 6.0. Fainter than Georgetown's faintest stars (4.3) but brighter than Lethem's (6.0).
- Distance: 2,700 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 2,700 years ago.
What it is made of
- Type
- Asterism with Open Cluster
- Distance
- NGC 1502 ~2,700 Lightyears
- True size
- Cascade ~2.5 degrees long
- Kemble's Cascade (Asterism): Apparent line of ~20 stars
- NGC 1502 (Open Cluster): Small, dense cluster at one end
More deep-sky objects: Alpha Persei Cluster (Melotte 20) · Double Cluster (NGC 869 & NGC 884) · M103 (Open Cluster) · NGC 457 (ET Cluster / Owl Cluster) · Open Cluster M38 · NGC 7789 (Caroline's Rose / White Rose Cluster)