At a Glance
Object: NGC 654
Type: Star Cluster
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Distance: 6,700 – 7,800 light-years
Catalog: NGC
Best Season: Fall
NGC 654 is a young open star cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia. This part of the sky is rich with star clusters, and NGC 654 sits near other notable clusters such as NGC 663 and NGC 659, making the area a rewarding region to explore with binoculars, telescopes, or wide-field astrophotography.
An open cluster is a loose group of stars that formed from the same large cloud of gas and dust. The stars in NGC 654 are relatively young compared with many other deep-sky objects, and they are still traveling through the Milky Way together as a family of stars. Over long periods of time, gravity from the galaxy will slowly pull clusters like this apart.
NGC 654 lies approximately 6,700 to 7,800 light-years from Earth, with many estimates placing it around 7,000 light-years away. Although that is a tremendous distance, the cluster is bright enough to be seen with binoculars under decent skies. It has an apparent magnitude of about 6.5 and a small apparent size of roughly 6 arcminutes, so it appears as a compact patch of stars rather than a large sprawling cluster.
The cluster was discovered by William Herschel in 1787. Like many open clusters in Cassiopeia, it sits against a busy Milky Way background, which can make it both beautiful and challenging to separate from the surrounding star field.
For observers and astrophotographers, NGC 654 is a nice example of a compact young star cluster. It may not be as famous as the Double Cluster or the Owl Cluster, but it has its own quiet appeal. Its small, concentrated shape and location in the star-rich fields of Cassiopeia make it a worthwhile target during fall and winter evenings.
Capture Details
| Telescope | Celestron Nexstar 8se |
| Reducer/Flattener | Celestron .63x Reducer/Flattener |
| Filter | Optolong L-Pro |
| Camera | ZWO ASI294 MC Pro |
| Mount | Juwei-17 |
| Total Captured | 118 |
| Total Time | 3 hours 56 minutes |
| Capture Software | N.I.N.A. |
Guiding | PHD2, ZWO asi120mm mini, |
| Processed in | PixInsight |
Backyard Capture Notes
NGC 654 is a good backyard target for showing a compact open cluster against the dense star fields of Cassiopeia. The main challenge is keeping the cluster visually separated from the busy background, so sharp focus and careful star color control are important. A slightly wider field can help show NGC 654 together with nearby clusters like NGC 663 and NGC 659, giving the image more context and making the region feel like a small tour through the Milky Way.