NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

(This is a very very beta version)

NGC657

Basic Information

Location and Magnitude

Right Ascension: 1:43:29.8
Declination: +55:52:30
Constellation: CAS
Visual Magnitude:

Historic Information

Discoverer: Herschel J.
Year of discovery: 1831
Discovery aperture: 18.3

Observational

Summary description: Cl, pRi, st 12
Sub-type: OCL

Corwin's Notes

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NGC 657 looks like a poor cluster of relatively bright stars against the 
crowded backdrop of the Milky Way.  JH has it as "A ** (h2070), the chief of
a p rich loose cl; sts 12."  His position is for the double, SAO 22555, but 
the apparent center -- a rough circle of 5 stars -- of the cluster is about 
4 arcmin southwest of the double.

Steve's Notes

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NGC 657

17.5" (10/25/97): very unimpressive asterism near at the double star O· 35 = 7.2/10.4 at 13".  Possibly John Herschel was attracted to a group of ~10 stars 4'-5' SW of the bright double.  There are a few additional stars following this group which lead back to the double.  This grouping includes a couple of close, faint doubles but appears to be a weak asterism at all powers as there is no evident clustering.