IC 166

Also Known as: Tombauch 3

Object Type: Open Cluster

Constellation: Cassiopeia

Distance from Earth: 16,600 Light years

Apparent Magnitude: 11.7

Coordinates: RA 01H 52M 23S DEC 61deg 51min 09sec

Actual Size: 7.5 light year in diameter

Apparent Dimensions: 7 arc-minutes

Discovered by: IC 166 was discovered by William Denning around 1890

Description: IC 166 is a relatively faint open cluster set amongst a rich star field close to the northern celestial pole in Cassiopeia, a couple of degrees almost due south of Segin.
IC 166 is about 1 billion years old (give or take 200 million years) and while this makes it quite a lot older than most, it is classified as an 'intermediate' age cluster.
Due to disruption to members as the cluster orbits the galaxy, not many clusters reach the grand old age of a billion. However, IC 166 sits beyond the Perseus arm of the galaxy at a distance of 4.3 kpc from us, or 12.7 kpc from the center of the galaxy, and it is hypothesized that disruptive effects are lower in the outer disc so chances of survival are higher.

Click Below Image(s) for Full Size:

The dense 'nearby' star field set against the more distant cluster adds some depth.

Platesolve

IC 166 Open Cluster

Imaging Details
Click to Return to Home Page