NGC 6997 - Cygnus

NGC6997 - - en la IA

NGC 6997 is a fairly sparse open cluster located in the constellation Cygnus. Here's a summary of what we know about it:

• Classification: Open cluster
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Right Ascension: 20h 56m 30.0s
• Declination: +44° 39' 00"
• Apparent Magnitude: 10.0
• Size: Approximately 11 arcminutes in diameter
• Distance: Estimates vary, but it's believed to be around 2400-2600 light-years away
• Age: Probably quite old for an open cluster, estimates vary from ~800 million years to even several billion years old. This means many of its brighter, more massive stars have already evolved off the main sequence.

Key features and characteristics:

• Sparseness: Unlike dense, rich open clusters, NGC 6997 is rather sparsely populated. This makes it more challenging to distinguish its member stars from background stars.
• Background Richness: The cluster lies in a region of the sky rich with stars, so teasing out which stars are actually part of the cluster is tricky.
• Location: It's found in the Cygnus OB3 association, a region with a number of young stars and star forming regions.
• Telescopic Object: It's generally considered a telescopic object, best viewed with moderate to large telescopes.

Observational Notes:

• Appearance: In smaller telescopes, it might appear as a faint, scattered grouping of stars. Larger telescopes will reveal more of the fainter members.
• Challenges: Its faintness and sparseness make it a challenging object for visual observers, especially in light-polluted areas.

In summary, NGC 6997 is an older, more dispersed open cluster that presents a rewarding challenge for experienced amateur astronomers with suitable equipment.