Can You Spot This?

One of the brightest non-Messier open clusters is NGC 457 in Cassiopeia. It is also one of the clusters that most resembles its commonly used name, the ET or Extraterrestrial Cluster. It is easy to find and easy to recognize.
First locate the constellation Cassiopeia. As shown in Chart 1 at lower power, spot the bright star Delta in the constellation’s well-known W shape. Just below it is the bright star Phi. Place your finder or Telrad on Phi and look into your low power eyepiece.
Phi stands out as a bright star. Near it is another star that is a magnitude or two lower. These two stars are quickly recognizable as the eyes of ET. As you pan your eyes around with the eyepiece, you should be able to quickly recognize the stick figure that gives it is name. Refer to Chart 2 to see the pattern.

The first time I observed NGC 457, I had never heard of its name. However, I instantly thought of ET. Others have referred to it as the Owl Cluster, also because of its two bright eyes. I have also heard others say it reminds them of an airplane with two bright lights. When you see it, let us know what it reminds you of.

Increase the power and notice the beauty of Phi and its companion. With higher power, it is fun to follow the lines of stars that comprise its torso, arms, and legs.

NGC 457 is a rich open cluster with at least 50 stars in a relatively small area. If you are good at noticing the colors of stars, you should be able to finds stars of at least three or four different hues.

OBJECT STATISTICS:
Name: NGC 457 — ET Cluster
Type: Open Cluster
Magnitude: 6.4
Size: 13’
Coordinates: 1 hr. 19 min. 6 sec; +58 deg. 20 min. 0 sec.