NGC 7243 is an open cluster in Lacerta, 2,820 light-years away
NGC 7243 (Caldwell 16, Herschel 400 no. 386) is an open cluster in the constellation Lacerta , 2,820 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 6.4 and spans 21′ of sky, about 17 light-years across. It is visible in small binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in October.
Open cluster: a loose group of a few dozen to a few thousand young stars born together from one cloud of gas. They drift apart over a few hundred million years and lie in the disk of the Milky Way.
Finding NGC 7243 from ζ Cep
ζ Cep
NGC 7243
LACERTA
NGC 7243 lies 8.3° south of ζ Cep , the magnitude 3.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 7243 is highest in the evening in October
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 39° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 58° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 73° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 80° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 68° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 74° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 87° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 67° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -0° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 70° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 80° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 63° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 70° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 57° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 38° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -14° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -16° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -70° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -58° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -69° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -80° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -64° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -45° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 0° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 40°S, and never sets north of 40°N.
NGC 7243 is 2,820 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 7243 tonight left it about 2,820 years ago. It ranks 22 of 109 by distance among the 109 Caldwell objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt & Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of NGC 7243
NGC 7243 catalog data
Field Value
Designations Caldwell 16, NGC 7243, Herschel 400 no. 386 Type open cluster Constellation Lacerta Right ascension (J2000) 22h 15.1m Declination (J2000) +49° 54′ Magnitude 6.4 Apparent size 21′ True size 17 light-years Distance 2,820 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt & Reffert 2023) Best month October Best with Binoculars Herschel 400 number 386
