NGC 1624

NGC 1624, also known as Sh2-212[3] in the Sharpless catalog, is a very young open cluster in the constellation Perseus inside an emission nebula. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel in 1790.[4] NGC 1624 is about 20,000 ly (6,000 pc) from Earth, and latest estimates give it an age of less than 4 million years.[2] Its apparent magnitude is 11.8,[1] and apparent diameter is about 3.0 arc minutes.[4] Its celestial location is right ascension (α) 04h 40m 36.0s and declination (δ) +50° 27′ 42″.[1] It is potentially an area of massive star formation.[5]

NGC 1624
Image of NGC 1624 with the Isaac Newton Telescope
Credit: IGAPS
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension04h 40m 36.0s[1]
Declination+50° 27′ 42″[1]
Distance20000 ± 2000 ly (6000 ± 600 pc[2])
Apparent magnitude (V)11.8[1]
Physical characteristics
Estimated age<4 Myr[2]
Other designationsCr 53, C 0436+503, OCl 403, Tribble Nebula
Associations
ConstellationPerseus

According to Robert Trumpler's classification of open clusters, this cluster contains fewer than 50 stars (letter p) with a high concentration (I) and whose magnitudes are distributed over an average interval (number 2). The letter n at the end (I2pn) means that the cluster is inside a nebula.

Along with nearby emission nebula Sh2-211[6] it makes up what has become known as the Tribble Nebulae,[7] so called because they look like the furry creatures first introduced in the Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles".

References
  1. "NGC 1624". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. "Sejong Open Cluster Survey (SOS) - IV. The Young Open Clusters NGC 1624 and NGC 1931". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg.
  3. "Sh2-212". Galaxy Map. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. Seligman, Courtney. "New General Catalogue objects: NGC 1600 - 1649". cseligman.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  5. Deharveng, L.; Lefloch, B.; Kurtz, S.; Nadeau, D.; Pomarès, M.; Caplan, J.; Zavagno, A. (2008). "Triggered massive-star formation on the borders of Galactic H II regions". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 482 (2): 585–596. arXiv:0803.4152. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20079233. S2CID 16100087.
  6. "Sh2-211". Galaxy Map. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. "Tribble Nebulae". Flickr. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.


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