Perseus is home to some of the finest clusters
in the sky. Messier 34 is only one of the showpieces in this constellation sitting
atop the Milky Way, and in January the cluster is ideally suited for
observation, being almost overhead in the early evening. I have had the good
fortune to observe this bright open cluster with three different scopes,
including Space Eye, my 2” refractor. M 34 is a fine object for very small
scopes, and is seen well at 30x. It is a large group filled with bright stars,
and the eye is kept busy. The central area resolves well, and there are also
several bright stars in the outskirts. That observation was done in October of
2015.
Back in October of 2002 I viewed it from
Comber with my Edmund 8” reflector. At 36x it appeared as a very loose,
medium-rich cluster. There are numerous bright stars, some in pairs. The
cluster is best viewed at low power. 56X resolves the entire group, though
views were also lovely at 72x.
In January of this year I finally got to look
at it with the 12” scope. It fits in the field of view at 60x, its many bright
stars becoming almost blindingly white. The cluster includes some fine doubles,
and the overall large and loose structure invites the eye to search all around
for interesting pairings and other details. One aspect that struck me was a
fascinating string of faint stars on the south end, intersecting with another
line coming through the center of the cluster. There are about 12 stars in the
first line, some with very faint companions. 100X shows the central area in
good detail, though at this range the full cluster size is lost. Since M 34 is
right in the Milky Way, it is fun to sweep the area surrounding the cluster. A
rich knot of faint stars can be seen just south following, and I also came
across a wide U of stars not far away.
It’s often too cold in January to do much more
than a brief observation. This time is usually reserved for a look at the Orion
Nebula. However, M 34 can be appreciated on a quick visit, and will also reward
those with time for a closer view.
https://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/current/cgi/runquery.pl?Interface=bform&VCOORD=ngc+1039&SURVEY=Digitized+Sky+Survey&SCOORD=Equatorial&EQUINX=2000&MAPROJ=Gnomonic&SFACTR=0.35&ISCALN=Linear&GRIDDD=No&COLTAB=B-W+Linear&PIXELX=600&PIXELY=600
Clear skies!
Mapman Mike
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