NGC 7142 [SEP] constellation
NGC 7142
NGC 7142 is an open cluster about 6,200 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus.
Due to the observational difficulties NGC 7142 presents, it has been an infrequent topic of research. Current known studies include only work being done at the University of Kansas.
Description.
NGC 7142 is located near the reflection nebula NGC 7129, which is a first indication that the cluster may be obscured by an interstellar cloud. Many studies have demonstrated this to be true dating back to the earliest investigations of this
this cluster has been especially difficult. Based on NGC 7142's Color-magnitude diagram, it is believed that this cluster is close in age to the old open clusters M 67 and NGC 188 (although age determinations for these two clusters varies wildly in the literature). This makes it one of the oldest open clusters currently known.
Although thought to be an old cluster, NGC 7142 contains a surprisingly high number of blue stars. This runs contrary to the standard model of cluster evolution which predicts that old clusters should