---
title: "NGC 1997"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-1997"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 1997 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-1997"
---

# NGC 1997

NGC 1997 is an open [cluster](https://spacecatalog.org/clusters) in the constellation [Dorado](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/dorado), shining at apparent magnitude 13.43 (V). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J05303476-6311581, 2MASX J05303476-6311581 ID and ESO 086-001, among 5 designations in total. It was discovered in 1834.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Open cluster
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 1.8′ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 13.43 — Faint: it takes a large telescope.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Dorado](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/dorado) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Open cluster |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 13.43 |
| CONSTELLATION | Dorado |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 05h 30m 34.7s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −63° 11′ 58.3″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1834 |

## Catalogue data

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 14.27 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.43 |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Major axis | 1.8′ |
| Minor axis | 1.8′ |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | John Frederick William Herschel |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | OCl |
| Wikidata item | Q1046399 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 1997 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J05303476-6311581
- 2MASX: 2MASX J05303476-6311581 ID
- ESO: ESO 086-001
- ESO: ESO 86-1
- NGC: NGC 1997

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. NGC 1997 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-1997

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-1997,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 1997}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-1997},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-1997