NGC 1502 (also known as theGolden Harp Cluster[6]) is a young[7]open cluster of approximately 60[3] stars in the constellationCamelopardalis, discovered byWilliam Herschel on November 3, 1787.[8] It has avisual magnitude of 6.0 and thus is dimly visible to the naked eye.[3] This cluster is located at a distance of approximately3,500 light years[1][2] from the Sun, at the outer edge of theCam OB1 association of co-moving stars, and is likely part of theOrion Arm.[2] Theasterism known asKemble's Cascade appears to "flow" into NGC 1502, but this is just a chance alignment of stars.[9]
TheTrumpler class of NGC 1502 is II3p, indicating poorly populated cluster of stars (p) with a wide brightness range (3). Themain sequenceturnoff point is not well-defined, so the age estimates range from five to fifteen million years.[7] It is heavily reddened due tointerstellar dust.[4] One of the brightest candidate members of the cluster is theeclipsing binary SZ Cam, which is a component of a visualdouble star ADS 2984.[2] There are elevenvariable stars and four candidate variables among the cluster members, including aβ Cep, two periodic B-type variables, 2–3 eclipsing variables, and anRR Lyrae star.[7] Five members of the cluster arechemically peculiar.[10]
^abTripathi, A.; et al. (September 2013). "Photometric study of Galactic open cluster NGC 2129, NGC 1502 and King 12".Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India.41 (3): 209.Bibcode:2013BASI...41..209T.
^abcdMichalska, G.; et al. (December 2009). "A CCD Search for Variable Stars of Spectral Type B in the Northern Hemisphere Open Clusters. VII. NGC 1502".Acta Astronomica.59 (4):349–370.arXiv:0910.3672.Bibcode:2009AcA....59..349M.
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