h Persei Cluster
Scientific overview
h Persei Cluster is an open cluster in the constellation Perseus. It shines at apparent magnitude 3.7 and spans about 14.4 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · NGC 869
| Distance | 7,166 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 30.015428 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | -62.164 ± 1.165 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 34.740833 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 57.133889 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2021A&A...651A.104P · distance indicator: paral · catalogued value · source value 2197 pc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2023A&A...674A..37G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Perseus
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chi Persei ClusterNGC 884 | Open cluster | 3.8 | 10.5 |
| California NebulaNGC 1499 | Nebula | 5 | 160 |
| M 34M 34 · NGC 1039 | Open cluster | 5.2 | 22.5 |
| NGC 1545NGC 1545 | Open cluster | 6.2 | 4.2 |
| NGC 1528NGC 1528 | Open cluster | 6.4 | 9.6 |
| NGC 1444NGC 1444 | Open cluster | 6.6 | 3.6 |
| NGC 1342NGC 1342 | Open cluster | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| NGC 1582NGC 1582 | Open cluster | 7 | 7.8 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.