NGC 1513 is an open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Perseus, positioned 2° SSE of the faint star Lambda Persei. The same telescope field contains the clusters NGC 1528 and NGC 1545.[2] NGC 1513 was discovered in 1790 by the German-British astronomer William Herschel.[3] The brightest component star is of magnitude 11, so a medium-sized amateur telescope is needed to observe 20-30 members. With a 12 in (30 cm) aperture telescope, most of the member stars can be resolved.[7] This cluster is located at a distance of 4,824 light-years from the Sun, but is drawing closer with a radial velocity of −14.7 km/s.[1]
This cluster has a rating of II2m in the Trumpler Catalogue, indicating it is moderately rich in stars with little central concentration.[8] It is partially obscured by dust from the Persei dark cloud complex.[2] NGC 1513 is 363 million years old and at least 433 stars in the field are members with a minimum 50% probability. The cluster has a core radius of 4.83 ± 0.55 ly (1.48 ± 0.17 pc) and a tidal radius of 65 ± 10 ly (20 ± 3 pc).[5] It has a metallicity of [M/H] = −0.10±0.10 dex, indicating a lower abundance of elements more massive than helium compared to the Sun.[9]
^Bilir, S.; Güver, T.; Khamitov, I.; Ak, T.; Ak, S.; Coşkunoğlu, K. B.; Paunzen, E.; Yaz, E. (March 2010), "CCD BV and 2MASS photometric study of the open cluster NGC 1513", Astrophysics and Space Science, 326 (1): 139–150, arXiv:0911.5027, Bibcode:2010Ap&SS.326..139B, doi:10.1007/s10509-009-0233-1.
Further reading
Sagar, Ram; et al. (June 2022), "Optical observations of star clusters NGC 1513 and NGC 4147; white dwarf WD 1145+017 and K band imaging of star-forming region Sh 2-61 with the 3.6-m Devasthal optical telescope", Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy, 43 (1), id. 31, arXiv:2201.08285, Bibcode:2022JApA...43...31S, doi:10.1007/s12036-022-09815-w.
del Rio, G.; Huestamendia, G. (June 1988), "Photoelectric UBV and photographic RGU photometry of the open clusters NGC 1496 and NGC 1513", Astronomy and Astrophysics, Supplement Series, 73: 425–435, Bibcode:1988A&AS...73..425D.
Barkhatova, K. A.; Dryakhlushina, L. I. (October 1960), "The Open Cluster NGC 1513", Soviet Astronomy, 4: 313–316, Bibcode:1960SvA.....4..313B.