NGC 6830: An Older Cluster Brings New Discoveries

NGC 6830 is a distant open star cluster in the constellation Vulpecula best viewed on moonless autumn nights.

Approximately 50 faint stars make up NGC 6830. The fairly dim cluster lies 5,300 light-years away and can be tough to resolve—and enjoy—when viewing under light-polluted skies. However, a handful of brighter stars stand out in an “x” pattern, which gives this stellar object some visual interest.

In 2016, astronomers published a paper detailing how the cluster contains three Be stars, a special type of B star. According to Phys.org, the findings “could shed new light on the presence of this type of star in old open clusters like NGC 6830.”¹

Historically speaking, the astronomer William Hershel first cataloged the cluster in 1784.

My Observations

This is a smaller cluster with a good number of dimmer stars scattered loosely. A handful of brighter stars cross in the middle in an “x” pattern. The moon floats above me tonight, adding to the suburban light pollution, so I’m struggling to get a transparent view of this cluster. I’m sure darker skies bring out this cluster’s dimmer stars beautifully.

Key Stats

Constellation	Vulpecula
Best Viewing	Autumn
Visual Magnitude	+7.9
Distance from Earth	5,300 ly
Milky Way Location	Orion Spur
My Viewing Grade	B-

Sources and Notes

Banner graphic by Trinitrix. The file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

¹ Nowakowski, Tomasz. “Astronomers Discover Two New Stars in a Distant Open Cluster.” Phys.org, Phys.org, 12 Apr. 2016, https://phys.org/news/2016-04-astronomers-stars-distant-cluster.html.