LH 19

Ribbons of stars

Image credit Robert Gendler

RA: 05h 03m 46s Dec: -67° 18′ 15″

Diameter: 7′

OB Associations: LH 19

Henize: N17

NGC Objects: NGC 1814, 1816, 1820

LH 19 = NGC 1820 = is a very large and lovely association

LH 19 = NGC 1820 (OB Association)

RA 05 04 06.0 Dec -67 16 42 Mag 11.5 Size 8′ x 5′

16″ at 228x: LH 19 = NGC 1820 appears ~7′ x 5′ in size, extended N-S. Two dozen or so mag 10-15 stars radiate north in what looks like streaky stellar ribbons drifting in the sky against a hazy background of a few tiny stars and the glow of countless unresolved stars. Very pretty! Especially noticeable is an arc of beautifully bright mag 10-12 stars that encloses the association on the east side.

LH 19 also includes two brighter knots – NGC 1814 and 1816 – on the west side which form a nice close pair…

N17B = NGC 1814 (Open Cluster + Emission Nebula)

RA 05 03 46.1 Dec -67 18 15 Mag 12.8 Size 1.2′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1814 appears as three resolved stars crowded together with a tight haze of unresolved stars in a small 24″ knot, elongated N-S, and encased in a faint patch of nebulosity. The UHC filter reveals some faint and very patchy nebulosity to the east and increases the contrast of the nebulosity surrounding the stars of NGC 1814,

NGC 1816 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 03 52.0 Dec -67 15 45 Mag 13.0 Size 1′

16″ at 228x: Lying 2.5′ NNE of NGC 1814, NGC 1816 is smaller and less bright than NGC 1814 and appears as two resolved stars in a small 18″ knot of unresolved stars.

N17A (Young Stellar Object)

RA 05 03 54.5 Dec -67 18 48 Mag – Size –

16″ at 228x: N17A is not something you see every night in another galaxy – this tiny object is classified as a young stellar object and appears as a tiny faint droplet of light. It has a mild response to the UHC filter.