Messier 34 (NGC 1039) in Perseus is a gem of an open cluster that gives one thing for all observers. It’s massive and vibrant sufficient to be spied with the bare eye by eagle-eyed observers beneath a really darkish sky. Extra realistically for UK observers, it’s a grand binocular goal, with even a small pair of binoculars revealing its brightest members, and splendid views are straightforward to take pleasure in by way of giant binoculars and small telescopes, such vistas being confirmed by the gorgeous portraits astro-imagers routinely safe.
Messier 34’s place in Perseus, which lies near the zenith on late evenings in November, provides it the benefit of being circumpolar (by no means setting) from the UK. Shining with an built-in magnitude of +5.2 throughout its 25-arcminute kind (some sources catalogue it as giant as 35 arcminutes), it lies on Perseus’ western border with Andromeda, simply over 5 levels west-north-west of Algol (beta [β] Persei), the well-known eclipsing binary variable star.
M34 is free sufficient {that a} pair of seven x 50 binoculars can present its brightest dozen or so brightest stars, glowing at about eighth- to ninth-magnitude. A small telescope, say round 80mm (~three inches) in aperture, working at low magnification, can reveal dozens of stars, which kind easier-to-see distinctive traces and teams with rising aperture.
