NGC 436 -- Open Cluster in Cassiopeia
The Dragonfly Egg Cluster
The well known and impressive Open Cluster NGC 457 in Cassiopeia is often referred to
as the Owl or ET cluster, but that is not what it looks like to me. Being an entomologist by
training, believe me when I tell you it is a celestial dragonfly. Not only is it a dragonfly, but
a female that has just dropped an egg. The tiny egg is NGC 436 and is located just
behind the flying dragonfly NGC 457. My names for NGC 457 (Dragonfly Cluster) and
NGC 436 (Dragonfly Egg Cluster) will likely never be accepted – but take-a-look yourself
and you will see that I am right!