NGC 1545 is an open star cluster in the constellation Perseus. It’s best viewed in the winter.
This loose cluster of 40 or so stars contains a prominent triangle shape of stars with varying colors. It’s slightly brighter than the notable cluster NGC 1528 nearby. William Herschel discovered the cluster on December 28, 1790.
My Observations
| Date | November 17, 2022 |
| Time | 9:07 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 169x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 12mm |
| Seeing | Above Average |
| Transparency | Above Average |
I first observed this cluster on March 11, 2021, writing, “This is a pretty cool little cluster. Like many other observers, I notice the triangle made of brighter stars. I can make out about 8 out of the cluster’s 40 or so stars. The rest are barely visible tonight, perhaps due to my average sky transparency. For future reference, it’s a small jump to NGC 1528.”
Key Stats
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Best Viewing | Winter |
| Visual Magnitude | +6.19 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -3.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,300 ly |
| Diameter | 12 ly |
| Apparent Size | 18 arcmin |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | B+ |
Sources and Notes
Photo of NGC 1545 by Roberto Mura and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
The Garden Astronomer 
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