NGC 7160 as a rather coarse open cluster in Cepheus about 2570
light-years distant and 19 million years old according to WEBDA. Using
a different source (unknown) Wikipedia says it is 2400 light-years
distant. The cluster is one of the objects in the original Herschel 400
list. My description from the list reads: "OPEN CLUSTER DOMINATED BY
TWO BRIGHT "EYE" STARS AND 4 LESSER STARS THAT DISTRACT FROM A
SCATTERING OF MUCH FAINTER STARS. SCATTERED AND POOR BUT THE "EYES"
MAKE IT INTERESTING." Sorry for the all caps but that was kept on a
computer that only knew upper case, yeah it goes back a long way to June
14, 1985. I didn't bother to retype it. The eye stars are B1V (lower)
and B1IVe stars so super hot very short lived massive stars. The lower
is still on the main sequence while the brighter has already moved off
the main sequence so is likely coming to the end of its short life span
as it has entered the sub giant branch of the HR diagram.

When I get a chance I will grab a Herschel 400 object. Weather was lousy
the night I took this, October 11, 2012. I managed to get only 2
luminance frames that were usable out of 6 taken, 2 of four red and blue
frames and one of 8 green frames. I combined all 7 into a pseudo
luminance frame. Clouds caused a glare over the cluster due to the
bright stars. Color is highly suspect due to the bad conditions. If it
were more interesting I'd likely reshoot it but with so many yet to do
and it's rather bland nature that isn't likely to happen. I probably
should have just left it in mono. The two red frames had little glare
but were hit by clouds. It's much nicer in the eyepiece than my camera.

14" LX200R @ f/10, Pseudo L=7x10' RB=2x10' G=1x10', STL-11000XM,
Paramount ME

Rick
--
Prefix is correct. Domain is arvig dot net

Attached Thumbnails