NGC 1605
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NGC 1605 is an open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Perseus. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on December 11, 1786.[5][6] This cluster is located at a distance of approximately 8,000 ly (2,449 pc) from the Sun.[2] It spans an angular size of 5.0′ × 5.0′ with an apparent visual magnitude of 11.0.[3]
| NGC 1605 | |
|---|---|
Pan-STARRS image of NGC 1605 | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 04h 34m 58.4s[1] |
| Declination | +45° 16′ 09″[1] |
| Distance | 7,990 ± 320 ly (2,449 ± 98 pc)[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.0[3] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 5.0′ × 5.0′[3] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | 623[4] M☉ |
| Estimated age | 400±50[4] Myr |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Perseus |
Observations
This cluster has a low concentration with a Trumpler class of III 2 m.[7] It is estimated to have 623[4] times the mass of the Sun with a core radius of 2.49+0.27
−0.41 pc.[2] The cluster is drifting closer to the Sun with a line of sight velocity component of −15.27±1.35 km/s. It is a member of the young thin disk population of the Milky Way.[4]
In 2021, D. Camargo presented results that suggested NGC 1605 is actually a binary open cluster system. The data showed two distinct stellar populations in the region: NGC 1605a with an age of 600 Myr and NGC 1605b at an age of 2 Gyr. This large age difference seemed to indicate a close encounter between two clusters that resulted in tidal capture. The presence of possible tidal debris appeared to support this hypothesis.[8] However, a 2022 study of Gaia 3 data contradicted this finding, suggesting the apparent difference was the result of contamination by field stars.[9][10]
The open cluster Can Batlló 1 may be located less than 330 light-years (100 pc) from NGC 1605.[9]