NGC 1529 is an open star cluster in the constellation Perseus. It’s best viewed in the winter. Approximately 150 star makes up the constellation
My Observations
Date: March 11, 2021
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Seattle, Washington
Scope: Meade 8″ ACF
Eyepiece: 20mm
Temp: 53F
Seeing: Average
Transparency: Average
This cluster does have several bright stars; I count 15 prominent stars. On first glance, the stars look like they are shooting up from a sprinkler or a water fountain. The bright stars also look like an arrow. I’ve enjoyed studying this cluster tonight. Enough so, that I can easily consider it in my top 10.
Key Stats
| When to view | Winter | R.A. (2021) | 04h 16m 58.31s |
| Constellation | Perseus | Dec (2021) | +51 15′ 05.9″ |
| Visual Magnitude | +6.40 | Distance | 3,600 ly |
| Absolute Magnitude | -3.79 | Age | 370 million yrs. |
| Apparent Size | 16 arcmin | Milky Way Locations | Orion Spur |
| Diameter | 16.5 ly | My Viewing Grade | A |
Historical Observations
Observation by William Herschel in 1790
“A beautiful cluster of large stars, very rich, and considerably compressed.”1
Sources and Notes
Photo of NGC 1528 by David Ritter and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
1 The Open Cluster NGC 1528 in the Constellation Perseus. Sky & Telescope. January 13, 2015.
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
The Garden Astronomer 
2 thoughts on “NGC 1528: A Star Cluster with a Water Fountain”