Polarissima Cluster

NGC 188 — catalogued as C1, the Polarissima Cluster — is one of the oldest known open clusters in the Milky Way, estimated to be around 6.8 billion years old. It lies roughly 42,000 light-years from Earth in Cepheus, just 4 degrees from the north celestial pole, making it circumpolar from Edinburgh and accessible throughout the year. Its extreme age means nearly all its massive stars have long since died, leaving behind a population of evolved red giants, horizontal branch stars, and white dwarfs. Its location near the galactic pole has kept it relatively undisturbed by tidal forces, allowing it to survive far longer than typical open clusters.