Open cluster · Cassiopeia
NGC 654 Fuzzy Butterfly Cluster
mag 6.56.3′ across
About
NGC 654, the Fuzzy Butterfly Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 6.5 in Cassiopeia, about 6.3′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 654 is in the constellation Cassiopeia.
- Best evenings: around early December it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 18° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small knot of stars, partly resolved.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Dozens of stars, many sharp and some coloured.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 654 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 6.5The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 6.3′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 01h 43m 59.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +61° 52′ 58″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →