About image
NGC 457 is an open cluster in Cassiopeia, also called Owl Cluster due to its particular shape: in fact it is characterized by the presence of two bright stars of sixth magnitude from which a concatenation of stars that resemble the wings of a bird in flight starts; the two bright stars are the "eyes" of the owl.
The cluster is made up of about sixty stars and is about 8000 light years away: it is a young cluster, having an estimated age of around 21 million years.
Countless far galaxies are visible in the background.
Technical data
Optic GSO RC12 Truss - Aperture
304mm, focal lenght 2432mm, f/8
Mount 10Micron GM2000 HPSII
Camera Moravian
G3-16200 with external filter wheel 7 positions
Filters Astrodon Gen2
E-Serie Tru-Balance 50mm unmounted RGB
Guiding system OAG Moravian M68
with guide camera Moravian G1-0301
Exposure details R 19x300" bin2 -25C
G 18x300" bin2 -25C
B 17x300" bin2 -25C
Total integration 4h30'
Acquisition Voyager, PHD2
Processing Pixinsight 1.8,
Photoshop CS5
SQM-L 19.5
Location Promiod (Aosta
Valley, Italy), own remote observatory
Date 25 October 2021