RA 17.0750° · Dec 61.5833° · openngc
4 more points to reach Rare.
NGC 381 is an uncommon cluster. It lies about 3,850.7 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cas and shines at apparent magnitude 9.3.
An open cluster: a few hundred stars born together out of one collapsing cloud, still drifting along in loose formation.
Look for NGC 381 in the constellation Cas. At apparent magnitude 9.3, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, NGC 381 is best seen from a dark site away from city lights, and when it is above the horizon depends on your latitude and the time of year. The visibility panel above works out tonight's viewing window for your saved location.
NGC 381 scores 30 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 4 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Star cluster, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Open cluster, Never sets (northern circumpolar) and Coming towards us — each earned for a real, measurable property of the object. Rarity on Spacedle is never random: the more remarkable an object's astrophysics, the more badges it collects, the higher it scores, and the rarer it ranks.