NGC 1624, also known as Sh2-212[3] in the Sharpless catalog, is a very young open cluster in the constellation Perseus inside an emission nebula. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel in 1790.[4] NGC 1624 is about 20,000 ly (6,000 pc) from Earth, and latest estimates give it an age of less than 4 million years.[2] Its apparent magnitude is 11.8,[1] and apparent diameter is about 3.0 arc minutes.[4] Its celestial location is right ascension (α) 04h 40m 36.0s and declination (δ) +50° 27′ 42″.[1] It is potentially an area of massive star formation.[5]

NGC 1624
Image of NGC 1624 with the Isaac Newton Telescope
Credit: IGAPS
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension04h 40m 36.0s[1]
Declination+50° 27′ 42″[1]
Distance20000 ± 2000 ly (6000 ± 600 pc[2])
Apparent magnitude (V)11.8[1]
Physical characteristics
Estimated age<4 Myr[2]
Other designationsCr 53, C 0436+503, OCl 403, Tribble Nebula
Associations
ConstellationPerseus
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

According to Robert Trumpler's classification of open clusters, this cluster contains fewer than 50 stars (letter p) with a high concentration (I) and whose magnitudes are distributed over an average interval (number 2). The letter n at the end (I2pn) means that the cluster is inside a nebula.

Along with nearby emission nebula Sh2-211[6] it makes up what has become known as the Tribble Nebulae,[7] so called because they look like the furry creatures first introduced in the Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles".

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "NGC 1624". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Sejong Open Cluster Survey (SOS) - IV. The Young Open Clusters NGC 1624 and NGC 1931". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg.
  3. ^ "Sh2-212". Galaxy Map. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b Seligman, Courtney. "New General Catalogue objects: NGC 1600 - 1649". cseligman.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  5. ^ Deharveng, L.; Lefloch, B.; Kurtz, S.; Nadeau, D.; Pomarès, M.; Caplan, J.; Zavagno, A. (2008). "Triggered massive-star formation on the borders of Galactic H II regions". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 482 (2): 585–596. arXiv:0803.4152. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20079233. S2CID 16100087.
  6. ^ "Sh2-211". Galaxy Map. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Tribble Nebulae". Flickr. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
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