Dusty Polarissima Cluster

• Connection to Category: NGC 188 (Caldwell 1) sits near Polaris and holds a remarkable record at 7.5–7.8 billion years old, it's one of the oldest open star clusters known. Most clusters like it were torn apart long ago by the Galaxy's gravity, but a fortunate orbital path kept it intact. Among its 868 stars, some have had dramatic pasts colliding or merging with neighbors, emerging mysteriously rejuvenated. Others hold unusually high amounts of lithium, a chemical fingerprint that shouldn't be there. For astronomers, it's a rare window into how stars age and sometimes break the rules.
• City: Zagreb
• State (Province/Region): Grad Zagreb
• Country: Croatia
• Camera body used: ZWO ASI294MC PRO
• Filter(s): ZWO UV/IR
• Lens or telescope used: Sky-Watcher 130PDS
• Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ5 PRO
• Number of frames: 726x180s
• Total exposure (integration) time: 36h 18min
• ISO or gain: 200
• Software: Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A), PixInsight, Adobe Photoshop