Key Takeaways:
- Pismis-Moreno 1 is a sparsely studied open star cluster located in the Cepheus constellation at a high declination.
- The cluster, spanning 9 arcminutes, is physically associated with the emission nebula Sharpless 2-140, situated approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth.
- The bright rim of Sharpless 2-140 results from the ionization of a Bok globule by the main sequence B star HD 211880.
- This system is part of the larger Cepheus Bubble, a region of expanding gas and ongoing star formation within the Cepheus OB2 Association.
Here’s an oddball open star cluster I bet you’ve never seen — it’s catalogued as Pismis-Moreno 1. Lying at a high declination in the northern constellation Cepheus, it was discovered by Armenian-Mexican astronomer Paris Pismis and Mexican astronomer Marco Moreno-Corral.
Little data has been collected on this small group, which measures 9’ across and is involved with the emission nebula Sharpless 2–140, which surrounds it. The nebula and cluster lie approximately 3,000 light-years away.
The bright rim of the nebula is caused by ionization from the main sequence B star HD 211880, which is exciting a Bok globule.
This area is part of the so-called Cepheus Bubble, an expanding shell of gas and star formation associated with the Cepheus OB 2 Association.
