NGC 559

NGC 559 (also known as Caldwell 8) is an open cluster and Caldwell object in the constellation Cassiopeia. It shines at magnitude +9.5. Its celestial coordinates are RA 01h 29.5m , dec +63° 18′. It is located near the open cluster NGC 637, and the bright magnitude +2.2 irregular variable star Gamma Cassiopeiae. The cluster is 7 arcmins across.[2]

NGC 559
PanSTARRS image of NGC 559
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension01h 29m 31.20s[1]
Declination+63° 18′ 07.2″[1]
Distance7200 ly (2200 pc[1])
Apparent magnitude (V)+9.5
Apparent dimensions (V)7.0′[2]
Physical characteristics
Other designationsCaldwell 8, Cr 13
Associations
ConstellationCassiopeia

The object is also called Ghost's Goblet. This name was coined by astronomer Stephen J. O'Meara, as the center of the star cluster, with a little imagination, is reminiscent of a still photograph of a jeweled goblet that is about to vanish in a ghostly manner. O'Meara attributes the impression of fading to the low brightness (about +12) of many stars in the center as well as to the great age of the star cluster, which is about 1.8 billion years old.[3]

Map showing the location of NGC 559

References
  1. Kharchenko, N. V.; et al. (2013), "Global survey of star clusters in the Milky Way. II. The catalogue of basic parameters", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 558: 8, arXiv:1308.5822, Bibcode:2013A&A...558A..53K, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322302, S2CID 118548517, A53.
  2. Seligman, Courtney. "Celestial Atlas: NGC Objects: NGC 550 - 599". cseligman.com. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  3. O’Meara, Stephen James (2016): The Caldwell Objects. 2nd edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-1-107-08397-4, p. 49–51.


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