Open Clusters in Vulpecula
There is continuing confusion about the identities of these two listings in the New General Catalog (NGC). Some sources idenfy NGC 6885 as the large, loose group of stars that surrounds the bright star 20 Vulpeculae. NGC 6882 is identified as the smaller clump of stars to the northwest (upper right) of the bright star. However, other sources reverse these two designations, and still others have concluded that both numbers refer to the same object.
Regardless of what these clusters are called, the view through a wide-field eyepiece is a pleasing one, with an array of bright stars against a background of countless dimmer ones. The view was striking enough for Patrick Moore to include this region in his list of Caldwell Objects as Caldwell 37.
| Magnitude | 8.1 |
| Apparent Size | 20' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 1,950 |
| Right Ascension | 20:12.0 |
| Declination | +26 28 |
| Field of View | 39' x 26' |
Image details: 40 exposures of 30 seconds each, taken with a ZWO ASI2600MC Pro imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/6.
December 2024