<p>This is almost certainly a foreground star.</p>
<p>It appears in the <a href="https://aladin.unistra.fr/AladinLite/?target=05%2041%2049.728%2B69%2023%2027.16&amp;fov=0.13&amp;survey=CDS%2FP%2FDSS2%2Fcolor" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Gaia database as source 485036192954347136</a> and is given a parallax of 0.49 milliarcseconds, corresponding to a distance of 2000 parsecs (6500 light years). A long way, but still firmly in the milkyway.</p>
<p>It is not part of the NGC 1961</p>
<p>I can't find a spectral type for this object, but in the DSS images it is brighter in the red filter than in the blue one, suggesting it is a more likely to be a (perhaps) F or A type dwarf than a very powerful O type star.  That would be consistent with its apparent magnitude and distance too.  (2Mass gives a magnitude of about 13.5, suggesting an absolute magnitude of about 2)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T07:22:18.490Z
"This is almost certainly a foreground star", how about the other similar looking stars closer to the galaxy?
DialFrost
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T07:28:19.290Z
Yes, those too, for the same reasons. You can check on Aladin for the parallax of each source.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T07:20:27.013Z
2022-09-25T10:33:54.343Z
2022-09-25T10:33:54.343Z
James K
<p>From NASA September 16 <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/hubble-studies-a-spectacular-spiral" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hubble studies a spectacular spiral</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tWbMP.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tWbMP.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>There are 4 really bright blue stars in this photo of galaxy NGC 1961. For those who can't see them very clearly, you can focus on the furthest top right one.</p>
<p>Is it a type O star as its blue? They seem much brighter than any other stars and are further away from the galaxy too.</p>

<star><galaxy><identify-this-object>
What are the blue "stars"?
DialFrost
# What are the blue "stars"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-09-25)

From NASA September 16 [Hubble studies a spectacular spiral](https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/hubble-studies-a-spectacular-spiral):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tWbMP.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/tWbMP.jpg)

There are 4 really bright blue stars in this photo of galaxy NGC 1961. For those who can't see them very clearly, you can focus on the furthest top right one.

Is it a type O star as its blue? They seem much brighter than any other stars and are further away from the galaxy too.

**Tags:** star, galaxy, identify-this-object

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-09-25. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

This is almost certainly a foreground star.

It appears in the [Gaia database as source 485036192954347136](https://aladin.unistra.fr/AladinLite/?target=05%2041%2049.728%2B69%2023%2027.16&fov=0.13&survey=CDS%2FP%2FDSS2%2Fcolor) and is given a parallax of 0.49 milliarcseconds, corresponding to a distance of 2000 parsecs (6500 light years). A long way, but still firmly in the milkyway.

It is not part of the NGC 1961

I can't find a spectral type for this object, but in the DSS images it is brighter in the red filter than in the blue one, suggesting it is a more likely to be a (perhaps) F or A type dwarf than a very powerful O type star. That would be consistent with its apparent magnitude and distance too. (2Mass gives a magnitude of about 13.5, suggesting an absolute magnitude of about 2)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: "This is almost certainly a foreground star", how about the other similar looking stars closer to the galaxy?  
> **username_1**: Yes, those too, for the same reasons. You can check on Aladin for the parallax of each source.  

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