2024-10-25

• Condition: VG5
• Location: Home, Spearfish: 44.49, -103.87

This is the first night since the beginning of summer where I actually felt cold. Probably didn't bundle up enough. The sky felt very 'crisp' though.

08:34PM

• Target: NGC 7686[1]
• Const: Andromeda
• RaDec: 23h30m +49.08
• Type: Open Cluster[2]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 165x
• Class: II 3 m
• Image: ../images/2024-10-25_NGC7686.jpg[3]

At first, I figured this cluster comprised of a brighter central star with a ring of other semi-brighter stars surrounding it. However the longer I looked, I began to notice specks of dim light coming from near the central star.

I zoomed in to 165x. I think this is the real cluster. A neat little sea of stars biased to the south-west of the central bright star.

[1] NGC 7686 (ID)

[2] Open Cluster (ID)

[3] ../images/2024-10-25_NGC7686.jpg