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2024, November 2024 Charles Lillo 2024, November 2024 Charles Lillo

Caroline's Rose (NGC 7899)

Caroline's Rose (NGC 7789) is an open star cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia, but it’s not as widely known as some other stellar groups. Discovered by astronomer Caroline Herschel in 1783, it contains approximately 1000 stars, most of which are around 1 to 2 billion years old, giving the cluster a distinctive yellowish hue due to its aging stars. What makes this cluster especially intriguing is the fact that it is one of the most densely populated open clusters known, with stars that are significantly more spread out than those in globular clusters.

A lesser-known fact is that the cluster is rich in white dwarf stars, which are remnants of once massive stars that have shed their outer layers and now shine with a faint, residual glow.

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