Galaxy Cluster in Ursa Major
The bright star at the bottom of this image is a 5th magnitude star located inside the bowl of the Big Dipper. Just to its north is the remote galaxy cluster Abell 1377, which appears as a swarm of several dozen dim fuzzy objects. The tiny sizes of these galaxies give an indication of their vast distance, estimated to be about 750 million light years. A few of the brightest galaxies in this cluster are about magnitude 15, which means they can be observed visually through large amateur telescopes.
At the top of this image are two closer and brighter galaxies, NGC 3888 to the left and NGC 3850 to the right.
| Magnitude (brightest) | 14 |
| Apparent Size | 30' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 750 million |
| Right Ascension | 11:45.6 |
| Declination | +55 53 |
| Field of View | 31' x 23' |
Image details: Exposure times of 60 minutes luminance and 30 minutes each of red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG STF-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/5.5.
April 2023