Star Clusters A Pocket Field Guide

Astronomer’s Pocket Field Guide
For other titles published in this series, go to

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Charles A. Cardona III
Star Clusters
A Pocket Field Guide
with astronomical images

by Jan Wisniewski
Calverton, NY,
USA
cc@dreamcatchertechnology.com
ISBN 978-1-4419-7039-8 e-ISBN 978-1-4419-7040-4

DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-7040-4
Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without
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Printed on acid-free paper
Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)

This book is dedicated to my wife Kristin
and my boys; Christopher, Nicholas and Matthew,
who always inspire me in the way the mysteries
of the universe do
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About the Author
Charles Cardona has been a teaching assistant in Astronomy at SUNY Suffolk

Community College in New York, a former observatory director, a Variable Star
section director, and a chairman of the board at the Custer Institute Observatory.
He also taught courses, lectures, and seminars in Astronomy, Optics, and Computer
Science. He was also the publisher of the Observatory Report Newsletter.
In addition to his astronomy work, Charles has been an entrepreneur and
has built and sold several companies. During the past 10 years, he has donated
to astronomy, education, and related children’s causes. He recently organized
the installation of a new observatory dome and telescope equipment.
He is currently involved in various educational programs and groups dedicated
to finding missing children.
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Preface
I have spent many wonderful nights observing at a variety of places around the
world, but many of my fondest memories come from those made at the Custer
Observatory in Southold on Long Island, where I grew up. I was only perhaps a
dozen years old when I started out, and now more than three decades later I have
logged millions of miles on the various telescopes there.
Some of the best memories are of observing and discussing astronomical
topics with the many really terrific people who make up Custer. It truly holds
a special place in my heart.
Star clusters were always among my favorite objects to observe and discuss
there. This book is the result of the exposure to these objects, many of which I
observed for the first time at Custer.
The Custer Institute Observatory was founded in the 1920s by local resident
Charles W. Elmer of Perkin-Elmer Corp. fame. The original crew met at his
house in Cedar Beach a few miles down the road from the institute. In the
1930s the group built an observatory complete with Mr. Elmer’s donated 5”
Alvan Clark refractor. Later the observatory expanded to include a 6” Clark
refractor and other even larger instruments.
Among the notables who have been members and contributors were other
local residents, famous optical engineer Laurits “Dan” Eichner, telescope maker
Harry Fitz, physicist Albert Einstein, renowned astronomer Peter Van De
Kamp, famous astronomer Sara Lee Lippincott, astronomer and author Fred
Hess, Allen Seltzer of the Hayden Planetarium, instrument maker Bob Deroski,
and many, many more.
Custer is a rustic brick building with a library, meeting hall, observatory
dome, optical shop, and a quaint meeting room called the Elmer room. The
Elmer Room is a paneled room complete with wood bookshelves surround-
ing a big brick fireplace. Many an intense conversation has been had in this
room on cloudy nights and on cold clear ones while warming up. I have
often sat up with several other members, way in to the wee hours of the
night, discussing various astronomical topics, sometimes with the obliga-
tory calculations on the blackboard to emphasize the point. Most of these
wonderful discussions were accompanied by interesting books that covered
some relevant topic or other. One such topic was star clusters, and I recall
x Preface
the lack of a book on this topic. This perhaps is what has prompted me to
always wish to write on this topic.
This book is a guide to star clusters for amateur observers. It contains infor-
mation on the brighter star clusters that are within reach of amateur telescopes
from 3” to 30” in the northern latitudes. It was designed to guide amateurs
through the interesting world of star clusters. It contains a concordance on
their history, structure, features, observing, and photography.
Star clusters are diverse and interesting. Each has its own unique personal-
ity. And yet for some reason, as a topic of their own, they have been neglected.
This book is an attempt to remedy that. I have attempted to provide informa-
tion, but also a few interesting (to me, anyway) anecdotes and personal
observations.
I certainly hope you enjoy the book. I have thoroughly enjoyed compiling
it. Perhaps there will be a few animated discussions on star clusters prompted
by it at Custer and other wonderful places as well.

Calverton, NY
Acknowledgements
I would like to especially thank Jan Wisniewski, an amateur astrophotographer,

who took most of the astronomical images that appear in this book. He has
created truly beautiful images with equipment available to many amateurs. His
tireless braving the cold nights is an inspiration to amateur and professional
astronomers alike.
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Contents
Dedication............................................................................................ v
About the Author................................................................................ vii
Preface.................................................................................................. ix
Acknowledgements............................................................................. xi
Part 1 Background
1. Introduction................................................................................. 3
2. Understanding Stars and Star Clusters...................................... 5
3. How to Use This Book................................................................. 17
Part 2 Star Cluster
4. Descriptions, Images, and Charts............................................... 21

Index..................................................................................................... 171
Part 1
Background
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Introduction 3
Chapter 1
Introduction
Star clusters are collections of stars that have a shared gravitational bond.
They range from loose aggregations of a few stars to mighty spherical-
shaped globular clusters containing a million or more stars. Obviously the
more stars and the more tightly packed the greater the gravitational
attraction between them.
Studying star clusters is an important endeavor because it gives a look at

stars of the same general age. This allows astronomers to see various
elements of stellar evolution in progress from a common origin.
Some clusters have been known since ancient times and have special names.
Many of these names have a mythological context, such as the Pleiades and
the Hyades. Most of the brightest clusters are listed in Charles Messier’s
famous list of “comet-like” objects compiled in the 1700s. For some reason a
few were not included in his list but are given a designation in the New
General Catalog (NGC) or its supplement, the Index Catalog (IC) compiled by
Danish astronomer J. L. E. Dreyer in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Star clusters are some of the most interesting and beautiful objects that
can be seen by the observer. Regardless of telescope size, from 3” to 30”,
there are many star clusters available that will provide stunning viewing.
Some particularly beautiful star clusters are visible all year round and are
ideal for both visual and photographic astronomical study.
Star clusters come in different varieties, densities, and sizes, each one having
its own unique personality. From mighty globular clusters such as M-13 to
the sweeping beauty of open clusters such as the Pleiades, each cluster has
its own story to tell. Some are as old as the galaxy, some are new, and some
are even being born right now.
C.A. Cardona III, Star Clusters: A Pocket Field Guide, Astronomer’s Pocket Field Guide,
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-7040-4 _1, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
4 Chapter 1
Many of the star clusters cataloged herein still have their formation nebula
visible. This is the envelope of gas and dust from which the stars in the clusters
formed. The youngest, of course, have the most gas and dust still around.
In many cases these clusters are still in the process of star formation.
Understanding Stars and Star Clusters 5
Chapter 2
Understanding Stars and Star Clusters
Stars are formed from gas and dust compressed together by various forces.
Star clusters are formed in several different ways. In what are called open
clusters, it is usually the sweeping wave action of the spiral arms of the gal-
axy thrusting vast stretches of this interstellar material away from the galaxy.
In the case of what are known as globulars, it is believed that they formed
during the original gravitational collapse that formed the galaxy. This is why
the globulars are known to be much older than the open clusters.
Open clusters and globular clusters are the two main types of clusters. Each
is related by virtue of the fact that they are collections of anywhere from a
dozen to a million or more stars. The two types differ in structure, age, and
distribution in the galaxy.
Stars are huge nuclear furnaces, converting their supplies of hydrogen to

helium and eventually to heavier elements. This process takes place over
the millions and billions of years of the stars’ life cycle.
Early on, it was believed that stars were huge balls of burning gas. This theory
could certainly account for the light and heat of a star, but it could not account
for much more than a few thousand years’ of a star’s lifespan. From looking at
the Sun and at fossils on Earth, we know that the Sun must have been burning
for many millions of years. Several other theories were put forth, none of
which could explain this discrepancy. Finally, with the discovery of radioactivity,
a process was found that could provide the necessary energy to power a star
for the millions or even billions of years required.
Stars are formed as vast clouds of gas and dust slowly contract under their
own gravitational attraction. This process accelerates as it progresses, due
to the increasing gravitational attraction of the increasing mass. If the mass
is large enough the temperature in the center rises until enough compres-
sion energy causes hydrogen atoms to be squeezed together and form
helium atoms. The amount of energy released from just 1 g of hydrogen
6 Chapter 2
being converted to helium is 6.4 × 1018 ergs of energy. In the Sun, a rather
modest star, 4 × 1033 ergs of energy are being produced each second.
This is equivalent to the energy produced by 6 trillion Hiroshima-sized
bombs exploding each second. It means that each second 600 million tons
of hydrogen is converted to helium, and more than 4 million tons of matter
is converted to energy each second.
Although this seems an extremely high rate of consumption, if the Sun

were to convert even half its mass of 2 × 1033 g at that rate, it would take
more than 10 billion years to use it up. This clearly is the source of the Sun’s
and other stars’ energy.
The rate at which stars burn energy is related to their mass. The larger the
star the higher its internal compression, and the faster it burns its fuel. In
fact, the rate of burning increases far in excess of the increase in mass;
therefore large stars use up their fuel much quicker than small ones.
As the star compresses from its original cloud it finally begins to shine
forth, creating a solar wind, which eventually disperses the cloud from
which it formed. This process occurs throughout the cloud of gas and dust,
and on most occasions more than one object is formed. Some will be
small and merely planets, while others will be larger and become stars. Such
groups of stars formed together usually stay together, at least for a while.
These are star clusters.
Astronomers are always looking for ways in which to study and classify
astronomical objects. One of the best ways to categorize stars is by their
spectra. The stars are categorized in various spectral types, or colors. This
classification system was developed at Harvard Observatory to help
astronomers classify and understand the different types of stars. The types
are O, B, A, F, G, K, and M. There are also a few others, which are sub-classes
of K. The O stars are the hottest and whitest and the M stars are the coolest
and reddest. Each class is further broken down into ten subdivisions 0
through 9. Our Sun is a G2 star, a rather average semi-cool yellow star.
The spectra of stars are not actually continuous, like a rainbow, but with
careful examination have distinct bright lines where specific colors are
emitted and areas in between where those colors are not emitted at all.
Each star has its own unique spectrum, or signature.
Electron orbital motions cause the spectral lines. Electrons are small particles
with a negative charge that orbit the atomic nucleus. Electrons must always
move in distinct orbit levels. If the electron moves to the next lower orbit it
loses energy and spits out a light particle (photon) of a specific color
(energy). Each different atom has different color photons, which are emitted
through various processes. Through experimentation in the laboratory, sci-
entists have cataloged the spectra of all the various elements and therefore
can use this as a guide to knowing the composition of the furthest stars.
The benefits of stellar spectra don’t stop there. Since light has a wave struc-
ture it is subject to the Doppler effect. This effect is familiar to anyone who
has heard a train whistle rise and then fall as the train passes by. The sound
waves are compressed as they approach and stretch apart as they recede.
This effect, sometimes known as red shift or blue shift, is also present in stel-
lar spectra if the object is moving either towards or away from us. The spec-
tra of receding objects shifts toward the red end, and that of an approaching
object shifts toward the blue end. By careful measurement of this deviation
astronomers can determine quite accurately the recession or approach of a
star (its radial velocity). Positive radial velocity means the star is approaching
us, and negative radial velocity means the star is moving away from us.
This effect also is sometimes seen to vary, as if the star sometimes

approaches and sometimes recedes relative to its normal motion.
Astronomers know that this object is orbiting another object or objects,
and its motion helps astronomers to identify double- and multiple-star
systems. Many of these stars are much too close together to see as separate
objects even in the biggest telescopes. These objects are known as spec-
troscopic binaries. Many thousands of such multiple systems have been
identified since this technique was first used.
The spectra of stars are also useful in determining the age of stars. The
most useful tool in determining star evolution is the Hertzsprung–Russell
(HR) diagram, which is a graph showing temperature versus magnitude
(brightness). The HR diagram was developed in the early twentieth century
by Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell as a method to classify stellar
evolution.
If we plot all the stars on this graph, we can see that most of them fall along
a diagonal line from the upper left to the lower right. This is known as the
8 Chapter 2
main sequence. It is believed that stars begin their life at the upper right
portion of the graph and then move to their place on the main sequence
shortly after they begin to burn their nuclear fuel. Their place on the main
sequence is dictated by their mass. The higher the mass the further to the
left on the main sequence they fall.
A star spends much of its life in the main sequence part of the diagram. Our
Sun has been on the main sequence for 5 billion years and will continue
there for another 5 billion. The outward pressure of the energy produced in
the core is balancing the inward pressure of gravity. This “balancing act”
is what allows the star to stay relatively stable on the main sequence for all
that time.
As a star begins to burn up all its hydrogen fuel, the energy produced is
reduced, allowing the core to contract; this contraction causes more heat
to be generated, which ultimately puffs up the outer layers of the star.
The star begins to move off the main sequence and, depending on how
much mass it has, will determine its ultimate fate. Smaller stars such as the
Sun will go through various death throes as they slowly run out of hydro-
gen. As the core contracts, the temperature will rise enough for helium to
begin burning in the core. This higher temperature will push the star’s outer
layers further away, creating a red giant stage. The star will usually go
through several violent episodes during this stage and produce large
nebulae from explosions and stellar wind. The star will then slowly settle
down and fade away as a white dwarf.
Larger stars will explode as novae and produce beautiful planetary nebulae
such as M27 and M57. The largest stars may even go supernova and
explode, destroying themselves leaving nothing but a neutron star or black
hole as a reminder of their former glory.
We can tell the age of a star cluster by looking at the types of stars that
make it up. If a cluster contains many white giant stars, we know it cannot
be very old. In fact, by plotting an HR diagram of the stars in a particular
cluster, we can identify the youngest stars that make it up. This is one way
in which astronomers can help to determine the age of our galaxy.
All these tools are very useful for astronomers who wish to study star clusters.
Stellar spectra help to provide the age and composition of the star cluster.
It also can help in inferring the original composition of the formation
nebulae.
Open Star Clusters
Open star clusters have been observed as such for thousands of years, and
some are part of astronomical lore in various cultures.
Open star clusters are found primarily in the galactic disk and are much
younger than globular clusters. The stars in open clusters are typical Population
I stars; this means they are young and rich in metals. The Population I stars
are typically located in the disk of the galaxy and were formed recently
(astronomically speaking) from the gas and dust swept around by the spiral
arms. The gas and dust in these clouds are enriched with metals and other
heavy elements from the explosions of countless supernovae.
10 Chapter 2
As this gas is swept around in the spiral arms of the galaxy, it is compressed.
This compression action on the gas and dust causes pools and eddies to
form, which are known as nebulae, and among these swirling collections of
gas, stars begin to form. Some nebulae can condense and create dozens,
some even thousands, of stars. These stars are still bound together gravita-
tionally and move together in an elaborate dance as they circle the galaxy.
These groups of stars are what we see as open clusters. They typically have
little defined form and can contain from a few to thousands of stars. Some,
such as the Pleiades (M45) and M16, actually have some of the nebula they
were formed from still surrounding them.
Open star clusters are classified using a methodology devised by Robert

Julius Trumpler, a renowned Swiss astronomer of the early twentieth cen-
tury. The classification is divided into three parts: density, luminosity func-
tion, and number of stars. The density is denoted by Roman numerals from
I to IV, with I being the most concentrated clusters and IV being the loosest,
with almost no structure or concentration. The luminosity function, which
is a numeral, has to do with the number of bright stars in the clusters and
their luminosity. The final element is the letter p, m, or r to denote the total
number of stars in the cluster. The letter p denotes poor – clusters with less
than 50 stars. The letter m denotes medium rich clusters with 50–100 stars,
and r denotes rich clusters with over 100 stars. For example the Pleiades
(M45) is classified as I 3 r, meaning well concentrated with fairly luminous
stars and over 100 members.
Open clusters are not all stable; in fact many will drift apart over several
millions of years as tidal forces from different sections of the galaxy slowly
pull the stars apart. The Sun probably formed in a cluster similar to the
Pleiades, and over many millions of years the various members have been
strewn throughout the spiral arms in our galaxy. There are calculations
which show that clusters with less than one star per cubic parsec become
unstable very quickly. The Hyades is an example of a cluster with a low
density (1 star per 40 cubic parsecs) and is therefore very unstable. With
a density of about 1 star per 10 cubic parsecs the Pleiades is much more
stable and therefore should take much longer to dissipate. With this knowl-
edge we know that clusters are relatively young objects in our galaxy.
Open clusters are categorized in many well-known catalogs. In the 1700s

Charles Messier began his famous “Messier list” of fuzzy objects, so observers
wouldn’t be confused when searching for new comets. Many noted astron-
omers of his day were somewhat superstitious. As all intelligent people of
the time knew that comets portended grave events, it would only make
sense to have effective methods to search for such objects. Thus Charles
Messier compiled his list of comet-like objects, which included a great
number of star clusters. As he and others of his era looked at these objects
carefully in their telescopes they discovered that many were in actuality
dozens or even hundreds of individual stars. These groups of stars were
compressed together in such a fashion that they could be nothing but far
off families of stars traveling through the galaxy together.
Several others compiled lists including star clusters, notably Nicolas Louis
de Lacaille, Edmund Halley, William Herschel, and Harlow Shapley. More
modern catalogs include the IC, NGC, Atlas Coeli, and probably foremost
The Catalog of Star Clusters, which provides data and details on over 1,000
open clusters.
Open star clusters are often tenuous and filamentary objects, which vary
greatly in structure. Some are tight knots of stars, others loose associa-
tions. Each has its own unique personality, providing the observer with
many nights of enjoyment. Observing deep into the central regions of star
clusters can be almost an entrancing experience. Imagine what it must be
like to be on a planet circling one of the stars in that cluster, to look up and
see a sky full of brilliant blue young stars, and red and yellow giant stars
blazing high in the sky! Perhaps some wisps of the nebula that formed the
more recent stars still show. Undoubtedly a wondrous experience.
Globular Star Clusters
Globular star clusters were certainly seen by ancient observers. However,

until the advent of the telescope it wasn’t realized that they were actually
clumps of hundreds or even thousands of stars. Early observers called
them nebulae.
Among the first astronomers to record observations of globular star clusters

were German astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the seventeenth century
and Edmund Halley. They and others discovered that these objects were
12 Chapter 2
not simply nebulae but were celestial cities of stars. Thousands and thousands
of stars condensed into tight little “globes” (hence the word “globular”) of
stars. As time passed, many noted astronomers such as William Herschel,
Charles Messier, and Abbe Lacaille discovered new globular clusters, until
now we know of more than a hundred in our galaxy.
It is now known that globular star clusters are not limited to the galactic
disk but are evenly distributed in a huge sphere around the galaxy known
as the galactic halo. This halo is nearly twice the diameter of the galactic
disk. The stars in globular star clusters were formed from the original gas
and dust that formed our galaxy billions of years ago. These stars are
known as Population II stars and are very poor in metals, as they were
formed mostly from gas, which did not have the benefit of enrichment by
supernova explosions.
Since globular star clusters are very old we can expect the stars making
them up to be old also. The best estimates show them to be 12 or more
billion years old. In fact, cosmologists who have been trying to accurately
determine the age of the universe have closely studied globular clusters.
Since these clusters have been circling the galaxy for billions of years, they
have undoubtedly been subject to a variety of gravitational disturbances,
which has upset the internal balance and probably has caused numerous
stars to be ejected. This may account for the many lone Population II stars
distributed in the galactic halo.
The stars inside globular star clusters perform a complicated dance

together as they orbit the center of gravity of these immense objects.
However, numerous encounters and collisions occur, especially in the
densest clusters. The stars, although bound together by the intense gravi-
tation of the cluster, follow extremely complex orbits, spending some of
their time at the outer fringes and some near the core.
Globular cluster halos similar to the one in our galaxy have been discov-
ered in other galaxies. The Tarantula nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud
(a satellite galaxy of our own) is believed to be the birthing place of a
future globular cluster.
Globular clusters commonly contain variable stars of the RR Lyrae type (also
known as cluster-type variables). These are large stars, which are moving off
the main sequence and have begun to pulsate. They are roughly 6 times the
mass and 50 times the luminosity of the Sun. They are characterized by
pulsation periods of less than a day and variation of about one magnitude.
They are somewhat similar to the Cepheid variables in that they pulsate
regularly. As with the Cepheids there is a relationship between the pulsa-
tion period of RR Lyrae stars and their luminosity, and so they are useful as
distance indicators. This is how the distances to many of the globular clus-
ters have been more accurately refined. Unfortunately not all globular star
clusters contain these variables.
There are a large number of globular star clusters that have been found to
have pulsars in their cores. In many cases more than a dozen pulsars have
been found in a single globular cluster. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron
stars that are the result of a supernova explosion. In the final years of a star
several times the mass of the Sun, the star runs out of hydrogen in its core.
The core loses its outward pressure from the fusion of hydrogen and
begins to compress. This compression causes the core to heat up. Eventually
the temperature gets high enough to begin helium fusion. The outer layers
surrounding the core still contain hydrogen and are hot enough for hydro-
gen fusion to occur. This larger “hot” area causes the outer layers of the star
to swell up enormously. Since the surface area increases by the square of
the diameter, the outer layers become much cooler than before. In cooling
off, they become redder. The star has now become a red giant.
The helium in the core fuses into carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. This process
produces much less energy than hydrogen fusion and thus depletes the
helium much quicker. The various atomic nuclei fuse as the core desper-
ately condenses and drains itself out of energy faster and faster. Finally
iron is produced. Iron cannot undergo the type of fusion that releases
energy. In fact fusion of iron consumes energy. Iron becomes a nuclear
dead end for the star.
At this point the star keeps collapsing, with no energy left to restrain it.
This collapse happens very rapidly, in a matter of hours. As this collapsing
shell implodes upon itself, the large quantities of hydrogen in the sur-
rounding shell slam down and fuse suddenly in a matter of minutes, caus-
ing a huge explosion that blows the outer layers of the star outward.
After the explosion, the core continues to collapse and becomes a soup of
compressed protons, neutrons, and electrons. The repulsion of the negative
electrons and the positive protons is so great that the star’s compression is
14 Chapter 2
stopped at about the size of a planet. This compressed star usually becomes
a white dwarf. The white dwarf will continue to slowly cool over many
billions of years until it finally becomes a burnt-out cinder known as a
black dwarf.
There are other possibilities, though. In the 1930s Indian-American astron-

omer S. Chandrasekhar calculated that if a star was more massive than 1.44
times the mass of the Sun the repulsion of the protons and neutrons
wouldn’t be enough to stop the collapse. This number is known as
“Chandrasekhar’s limit.” The star squeezes the electrons and protons
together to form neutrons, and the star becomes nothing but a soup of
neutrons. This highly compressed “neutron star,” as it is known, is less than
20-miles in diameter.
One interesting feature of neutron stars is that they rotate very rapidly, in
many cases multiple times every second and in some hundreds of times a
second. The reason for this comes from the law of conservation of angular
momentum. The original star was rotating, perhaps once a month or so.
However, the star was much, much larger, as the star contracted, angular
momentum had to be conserved, and so the star spun faster. This is dem-
onstrated when figure skaters draw their arms in and spin faster.
As these stars spin very rapidly, they generate huge magnetic fields that
spew radiation from the magnetic poles. These poles apparently are not
always located at the axes of rotation. This produces a flashing beacon,
which if pointed at or near us can be seen as a flashing radio signal. They
have also been detected flashing in visual light.
Pulsars are extremely accurate time keepers and pulsate more regularly
than even the finest atomic clocks here on Earth. The rotations of pulsars do
slow down ever so slowly over millions of years, however, as the particles
streaming away carry tiny bits of the angular momentum away with them.
Even larger stars theoretically will compress so far that even the neutrons
collapse, and the star becomes a soup of quarks. The density of such an
object is so high that the acceleration of gravity close to it is above the
speed of light. This object is known as a black hole. Black holes can only
be detected indirectly. If they are located near other stars or other sources
of gas and dust, they will suck them in like a cosmic vacuum cleaner.
As the gas gets sucked inside the black hole, it is accelerated so fast that
it emits high-energy radiation in the form of X-rays and gamma rays.
It is deep within the cores of globular clusters that astronomers are now
looking for pulsars and black holes. This field of study is revealing many
interesting new details, including the recent discovery of gas clouds inside
globular clusters.
Telescopes for Observing Star Clusters
There are many fine star clusters, both open and globular, available to a
wide variety of instruments, from binoculars to large aperture reflectors.
A few nice open clusters look quite striking in binoculars. However the
magnification and light-gathering ability of even a 3” telescope can bring
many dozens of beautiful clusters into view.
A good number of nice clusters are brighter than ninth magnitude, which
makes them easily visible even with the small ‘scope.
Many clusters are nicely within reach of the amateur astrophotographer,

especially with the new, highly accurate computer-controlled drive-cor-
recting mounts available. With fast film and telescopes of F8 and below,
nice results are possible on many objects with exposures of even 10–20
min. There are also many great possibilities with CCD cameras and image
enhancement software. This new technology allows the astrophotogra-
pher to attain results previously only available to professionals with expen-
sive equipment. In recent years CCD photography has almost all but taken
over from film photography as the standard. One of the reasons for this is
the more “linear” response of CCD technology as compared to film. This
means that measurements of an object’s brightness is much more accurate
with CCD than with film.
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How to Use This Book 17
Chapter 3
How to Use This Book
This book is arranged by season in Right Ascension order from spring (from
RA = 8 h) to winter (up to RA = 7 h). Of course the seasons overlap, so there
will always be plenty to observe.
Included are some of the brightest and best clusters for amateur-sized
telescopes and binoculars. Anyone with a telescope of 3” (80 mm) or larger
should be able to observe them all. Of course some will look a bit better in
larger ‘scopes than others, and some are best at low power. For imaging it
is suggested to use a telescope of at least 5” aperture to get the best
results. Many of the images shown in this book have been taken with a
standard 8” Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope and amateur equipment.
Not every possible cluster is included. Some people will rue the omissions.
However, each of those included has some special place in the author’s
observing heart, as I hope they will for you.
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Part 2
Star Cluster
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Descriptions, Images, and Charts 21
Chapter 4
Descriptions, Images, and Charts
M103 in Cassiopeia
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): Messier 103, NGC 581
RA: 01h 33m
Dec: +60°39΄f
Visual magnitude: 7.1
Distance: 8,100 LY
Size: 11¢
M103 is a beautiful open cluster located in Cassiopeia. It is just beyond

visual view but is wonderful in binoculars and seems to have a pronounced
sense of depth. There is considerable contrast both in magnitude and color
in the stars in M103, which somewhat small size makes it ideal for 50–100
22 Chapter 4
power in a 3” or bigger telescope. In some ways it resembles a wedge of

cheese. Its triangular shape is one of its distinguishing characteristics.
The Sun probably formed in a cluster similar to M103, which has now all
but completely dispersed, as M103 surely will disappear in the next several
billion years.
This cluster is quite young at only 20–25 million years. Many of the largest
stars are still present, with one very noticeable red giant at tenth magnitude.
The cluster is located more than 8,000 light years away and is at least 15
light years in diameter. It has a radial velocity of about 35 km/s in approach.
Although not the richest cluster in the heavens, it contains more than
40 members and is very beautiful to behold.
Photographically M103 is a subject for eyepiece projection. Its smallish size

makes it a good target with some magnification. There are however three
other smaller clusters less than 2° away, which in a wider field picture are
quite nice.
M103 is located about 1° north and east of the second magnitude blue star
d (delta) Cassiopeiae (Ruchbah). There are three other clusters – NGC 654,
659, and 663 about 2° to east towards e (Epsilon) Cassiopeiae (Segin).
Suggested Instruments
binoculars
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ plus catadioptric
24 Chapter 4
NGC 752 in Andromeda
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): NGC 752
RA: 01h 58m
Dec: +37°41′
Distance: 1,300 LY
Size: 60′
NGC 752 is a beautiful open cluster located just below g (Gamma)

Andromedae. It contains more than 100 stars with more than a dozen over
tenth magnitude. This is a terrific object in binoculars.
Originally cataloged by William Herschel on September 21, 1786, NGC is

believed to have been discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna, an astron-
omer in the court of the Duke of Montechiaro around 1650. He was one of
the first to create a catalog of celestial objects with a telescope. He used a
crude Galilean refractor of roughly 20 power. His book De Admirandis Coeli
Characteribus contained a list of approximately 40 deep sky objects.
Widely scattered and old, this cluster contains a few dozen orange giant
stars plus many main sequence stars. Perhaps 1.5 billion years in age,
NGC-752 is in the process of drifting apart. Many of its members are barely
holding on at the edge of the gravitational field. The members of this
cluster are mostly G and K white stars with some larger orange and blue
giants. It is believed this cluster formed at the outer edge of the galaxy
where the dust and gas is thinner and lower in metal concentrations.
NGC-752 is approaching us at 2.5 miles/s and is located at least 1,300 light
years distant.
Photographically NGC-752 is an interesting challenge. It can be imaged

using wider field CCD imagery with very satisfying results. The colorful
aspect of this cluster due to its brilliant orange giant members makes it
ideal for color photography.
Just 5° south of g (Gamma) Andromedae (Almach), NGC-752 is quite easy to

find. It is almost midway between Almach and a alpha Trianguli (Ras al
Muthallath). It can be located as a fuzzy collection almost resolvable into
stars in binoculars – resolving out nicely in a small telescope.
binoculars
2.5”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
NGC 869 and NGC 884 in Perseus (The Double Cluster)
Type: Open clusters

Designation(s): NGC 869, NGC 884
RA: 02h 20m
Dec: +57°08′
Distance: 7,300 LY
Size: 60′
The Double Cluster in Perseusis one of the most beautiful clusters in the sky.
It has been know for thousands of years and even appears in Hipparcos’s
catalog of 130 bc. Easily visible in binoculars and amazing in low power
telescopes, this pair of clusters is a favorite for fall and winter observers. This
object is easily visible naked eye between Perseus and Cassiopeia. Even a
small pair of binoculars shows the double knots of stars.
It is somewhat strange that Messier didn’t include these objects in his cata-
log. He included other bright clusters such as the Pleiades (M45) and the
Beehive (M44).
H (NGC 869) and Chi Persei (NGC 884), as they are also known, are located
only 7,300 light years away and are approaching us at somewhat greater
than 20 km/s. Recent findings have shown that although they are located
perhaps 300 light years apart and are approximately 70 light years in diam-
eter, they may not have originated together. NGC 884 (5 million years) seems
to be a bit older than NGC 869 (3 million years). Many of the surrounding
stars also seem to be linked gravitationally to the clusters, perhaps formed
within one or both of the clusters and in the process of dissipating.
Nonetheless it makes for a striking view at low or high powers.
Incredibly bright supergiant stars, some of which are more than 50,000
times brighter than the Sun, dominate the two clusters. There are both red
and blue supergiant stars, making this a very striking cluster both visually
and photographically. The maximum lifespan of some of these massive
stars are around the age of the clusters; this means at sometime in the near
future, one or more may explode as a spectacular nova. But don’t hold your
breath waiting – it could be thousands of years yet (or tomorrow night!).
That’s what makes astronomy such a fun endeavor!
28 Chapter 4
Both clusters are similar in size and contain approximately 5,000 solar
masses with perhaps 100 members each. However this 5,000 solar masses
shines with the luminosity of 200,000 Suns.
Photographically one could not ask for a finer target. The brightness of
the pair make nice photographs possible in less than 10 min. With CCD
technology, the exposures are greatly reduced.
binoculars
2.5”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
30 Chapter 4
M34 in Perseus
Type: Open cluster

RA: 02h 42m
Dec: +42°47¢
Distance: 1,350 LY
Size: 42¢
M34 is one of the most spectacular open clusters in the sky. It is quite
bright and can be seen naked eye in very dark skies. In a pair of binoculars
it is quite nice. Being approximately the size of the full Moon and fifth mag-
nitude, M34 is a good target for smaller ‘scopes. You should see wonderful
views of this wispy cluster in telescopes as small as 3”. In ‘scopes of 5” or 6”
the spidery arcs of stars begin to stand out. In even larger telescopes the
full extent of this cluster really shines. The size of this cluster makes lower
powers of less than 50× the best choice.
M34 is located more than 1,300 light years away and is over 15 light years
across, which makes it a truly immense object. With slightly more than 100
members this isn’t a very dense cluster. In fact the star density in M34 isn’t
much more than the Sun’s neighborhood. The stars within M34 are much
younger (and brighter) than the stars in our neighborhood. M34 is only 120
million years old and still contains a good number of brighter giant stars.
Several of these giant starts are white stars of more than 50 times the lumi-
nosity of the Sun.
This cluster is exceptional in smaller telescopes under clear skies, some-

times more so than with larger apertures. The larger telescope seems to
wash the beauty of the star field with so many additional field stars that
the cluster is lost.
Photographically, this is a favorite of imagers everywhere. Images can

nicely show the double star h1123.
binoculars
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
32 Chapter 4
Melotte 20 in Perseus
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): Mel 20
RA: 03h 22m
Dec: +49°05′
Distance: 600 LY
Size: 3°
Melotte 20 is also known as the Alpha Persei Moving Cluster. It is located

near a (alpha) Persei (Algenib). It contains more than 100 stars and is
considered an OB association.
Mel 20 is an interesting object first cataloged by the famous Italian

astronomer Giovanni Batista Hodierna and most recently by Melotte in
his 1915 list. It is very easy to find and bright, as Algenib, a first magnitude
star, is a member.
34 Chapter 4
This beautiful cluster is large and close and has been classified as an OB
association. It doesn’t seem to contain many O stars but is loaded with
bright B and A stars. The O members (the biggest and hottest) all have
burned out. When the first generation of bright stars all went nova the
expanding pressure waves caused a second generation of star formation,
of which the youngest members have also exploded. This wave of nebulos-
ity and star formation is in a region of space known as Gould’s Belt. Mel 20
is a product of this region of space. Gould’s Belt extends within the galactic
spiral arm that the Sun is in.
Photographically, Mel 20 needs a nice 5–10° field to really show its

outer regions against the surrounding sky. This is really an object for
film photography, although good attempts can be made with wide
angle CCD.
Mel 20 is easily located, as the area surrounding and just to the west of
Algenib a (alpha) is Persei.
binoculars, finderscope
2”+ wide field refractor
3”+ wide field reflector
36 Chapter 4
M45 in Taurus
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): Messier 45
RA: 03h 47m
Dec: +24°08′
Distance: 390 LY
Size: 2°
The Pleiades is quite striking in binoculars. It is easy to gaze for prolonged

views at this delicious object. In telescopes of 5” or so you can just begin to
see the nebulosity around the brightest stars. In fact the nebula surround-
ing Merope (23 Tau) is often visible in larger binoculars on a clear, still
night. Larger telescopes allow you to see deeper inside the cluster, where
more than 300 stars travel through space together.
M45 is more familiarly known as the Pleiades Cluster, or the Seven Sisters.
The Pleiades has been known and observed since ancient times. The
ancient Egyptians named them Chu, to represent the Goddess Net, “divine
mother of heaven.” The Japanese call them Subaru, or “those gathered
together.” (An interesting side note here – if you examine the logo of the car
maker Subaru, you will see the Pleiades stars in the design.) The Hindu call
them the flames of Agni, god of fire. The Romans called it the Spring
Virgins. The Aztec named them Tianquiztli – “The gathering place.” Perhaps
the most ancient of all astronomical references is of the Pleiades in an
ancient Chinese text of more than 4,000 years ago, naming them Kimah.
The Pleiades was born perhaps 20 million years ago and consists of a variety
of young stars. It is located approximately 400 million light years distant
and is traveling at some 5.5 arc seconds per century per second to the SSE.
This corresponds to 25 miles/s actual space velocity relative to the Sun.
They are receding from us at the rate of 4 miles/s.
Pleione, also known as BU TAU, is a variable star of irregular type. It has

ejected several shells of gas in the past century and has been studied for
X-ray emissions, which seem to indicate it may have a dwarf companion
star. For variable star observers, this object is of particular interest, as it
represents a certain class of stars called Be-Shell Stars. These are huge stars
3–10 times the diameter of the Sun and many times the Sun’s mass.
The Pleiades is an easy object to photograph. From a 50 mm lens on a

35 mm camera to wide field telescopic CCD imaging, the Pleiades is one of
the most beautiful objects to image.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
38 Chapter 4
The Hyades (or Melotte 25) in Taurus
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): Mel 24
RA: 4h 25m
Dec: +16°0′
Visual magnitude: +.5
Distance: 150 LY
Size: 5°+
The Hyades are a large open star cluster in Taurus with a distinctive V
shape. The V shape is commonly shown on star charts as the face of the
bull. Scanning the Hyades you can see a nice variety of colors in the stars.
This young nearby cluster is at its best at very low power in binoculars or a
wide field telescope.
Very well known by even very ancient cultures, the Hyades cluster is most
commonly celebrated as a bull. In many cultures, including the Greeks and
Chinese, the Hyades is associated with rain and storms. In classic Greek
mythology the Hyades stars were metamorphosed maiden daughters of
Hyacinthus, who were sacrificed for the safety of Athens.
40 Chapter 4
At 150 light years this is one of the nearest open star clusters. The central
core of the star cluster is more than 10 light years across. However the
entire cluster may be as much as 100 light years across and include many
other stars in Taurus. The total number of members is difficult to determine
exactly due to its large size in the sky. It has been estimated that more than
300 stars are members of this cluster. The Hyades is slowly moving to the
east towards a point near Betelgeuse and receding from us as it moves
through space at some 25 miles/s.
Although the bright portion of the cluster is 5° in diameter, members are

spread out over an area of more than 20°. This gives us a true diameter of
the Hyades Cluster of 80 light years. Although this is not a very large cluster,
it is of reasonable size and very close. There have been a considerable
number of white dwarves and faint stars discovered in the Hyades.
Nearby is the famed variable star T Tauri. This is the prototype of the class
of stars known as T Tauri stars. They are a class of young “protostars” that
are in the process of final formation. They are stars of similar size to the
Sun, but are surrounded by a nebula composed of clouds of gas and dust.
In many cases (including T Tauri itself) this surrounding nebula is periodi-
cally visible. These stars are quite young, less than a few million years old.
They exhibit variability as they gobble up the surrounding nebula.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
42 Chapter 4
M79 in Lepus
Type: Globular cluster

RA: 05h 24m
Dec: -24°30′
Distance: 40,000 LY
Size: 7′
Discovered by Pierre Mechain, who was a friend of Charles Messier in 1780,

M79 is one of our more interesting globular clusters. Mechain not only was
an avid observational astronomer but was director of the Paris Observatory
and did early geodetic work that would later be used to develop the metric
system. He discovered numerous astronomical objects during his observa-
tions, including 18 objects in Messier’s famous catalog.
M79 is interesting because it is believed to be extragalactic in nature. It is

located more than 60,000 light years from the center of our galaxy and
seems to have come from the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. This galaxy prob-
ably had more than a billion stars at one time; however, interaction with
the Milky Way has caused it to be considerably disrupted, depositing many
of its stars within our galaxy and along its orbit. M79 seems to be one of the
numerous shreds that have been torn away in this process. M79 may itself
not survive unscathed over the next dozen million years or so.
M79 is also an interesting case as a unique type of star called blue straggler
Stars have been found concentrated in its core. These stars are interesting
because they are bluer and have more mass than they should for such an
old cluster.
Massive blue stars only last for a few million to perhaps a half billion years,
and M79 is more than 10 billion years old. So how did these massive stars
come to be? It is believed that they evolved either through collisions at the
dense core of the cluster or through binary mass transfer, where smaller
stars gain mass and appear younger than they really are. These blue strag-
glers appear Sunken in the core of M79, perhaps making the collision the-
ory more attractive.
These types of objects provide a fixed laboratory in which to study stellar

evolution. M79 itself also allows astronomers to study the similarities and
differences in stars formed inside and outside of our galaxy.
Photographically M79 is really nice target. The core has a nice rich bluish
hue, with the outlying red giants making a striking contrast.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
44 Chapter 4
M38 in Auriga
Type: Open cluster

RA: 05h 28m
Dec: +35°27¢
Distance: 4,100 LY
Size: 20¢
M38 is an open star cluster in the center of the Constellation Auriga. This
rather beautiful cluster has more than 100 members, with many yellow
giants coloring the field.
M38 is one of the finest examples for just enjoying the star field. So many
observers rush to see dozens of objects each night without really stopping
to enjoy and appreciate what is in the eyepiece. It was more than 4,000
years ago when the light from these stars burst forth on its long journey
towards us. At this time the great pyramids at Giza were new, and the
Sumerians were at the height of their power in Mesopotamia. Much has
happened here, as that light has taken its long, lonely journey to us.
46 Chapter 4
We have learned that planets are not unique, and while M38 is relatively
young at 220 million years, we can wonder how many planets might exist
around its suns. We can also wonder what it might be like to have a sky full
of stars as seen from one of those planets. M38 is more than 25 light years
in diameter but has a luminosity of nearly 1,000 Suns. The night sky within
this cluster would truly be spectacular.
Images of M38 vary greatly, depending upon exposure. The surrounding

star field is stunning with long exposures.
The small cluster NGC 1907 is located about ½° to the south of M38. It is
located bit further than M38, but it is older and smaller. Wide field views
can encompass both clusters. One interesting point is that these two clusters
are only a few hundred light years apart.
binoculars
3”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
48 Chapter 4
M36 in Auriga
Type: Open cluster

RA: 05h 36m
Dec: +34°07¢
Distance: 4,100 LY
Size: 11¢
M36 is a nice bright open star cluster located just 2° from M38. In fact in
binoculars, you can easily see both in the same field. M36 is located at
about the same distance as M38. It appears brighter because it is much
younger (20–30 million years), and it contains many more larger and
younger stars that have not yet burned themselves out.
The huge bright stars include one giant star with more than 360 times the
luminosity of the Sun. Many of the large bright stars are rotating rapidly.
This also occurs in the similarly aged Pleiades star cluster.
M36 has been studied because it has been found to have circumstellar
disks around the stars. These studies are undertaken primarily to study
planet formation in young stars. When do planets form? At the same time
as stars form or subsequently and how? These are all questions that these
studies can help astronomers answer.
Imaging M36 is not particularly difficult as it is fairly bright and has a nice
condensed concentration of stars at its core. The bright blue and white
stars dominate the field. What makes images particularly interesting is the
numerous loops and strands of stars.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
50 Chapter 4
M37 in Auriga
Type: Open cluster

RA: 05h 52m
Dec: +32°33¢
Distance: 4,200 LY
Size: 16¢
The brightest of the open clusters in Auriga, M37 is extremely striking and
rich. Even in small telescopes M37 reveals a concentrated core and bright
outlying stars. When viewed in telescopes of at least 5” aperture, the stars
in the inner core really come to life.
M37 is relatively young at 300 million years old. The most massive stars
have already begun to enter the red giant phase, with many bright main
sequence stars filling the star field. The cluster is a bit over 25 light years in
diameter and contains at least 150 stars.
52 Chapter 4
With a 6” telescope at 50× this wonderful cluster resolves nicely into dozens
of brilliant stars. At times the cluster takes on an almost three-dimensional
quality. The lines of stars radiating from the M37 seem to give it an insect-
like appearance.
Imaging this cluster can be challenging but is also a lot of fun. Color images
are especially interesting, as the age of the cluster makes it have stars of every
color from blue, white to yellow orange and red. One of the most prominent
stars is a huge brilliant red giant located near the very center of the cluster.
About 2° to the north is the interesting dark nebula B34. In wider field
binoculars you can see the noticeable dark area.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
54 Chapter 4
M35 in Gemini
Type: Open cluster

RA: 06h 09m
Dec: +24°21¢
Distance: 2,500 LY
Size: 25¢
M35 is a very nice and rich cluster, containing more than 1,000 stars
condensed within its 25¢ size. Only perhaps 200 of these stars are visible in
smaller telescopes. The size and distance correspond to a diameter of
roughly 25 light years.
The cluster has interesting coloring, due to its intermediate age of around
100 million years. There are some nice yellow and orange dwarves mixed in
with the blue and white main sequence stars. This makes for some really
exquisite views at different magnifications. It is a good idea with M35 to
try changing eyepieces and comparing the views. With certain eyepiece/
telescope combinations the cluster seems to rush out at you.
Being somewhat close, M35 has been the subject of several studies involv-
ing white dwarves. These studies have helped researchers to understand
the proportion of white dwarves in the galaxy.
There is a dark area near the center of the cluster. This region is very notice-
able in telescopes of up to around 8” and can make the cluster appear quite
spectacular. It seems to disappear when viewed in larger telescopes except
on nights of poor seeing.
The small but rich cluster NGC 2158 (mag. 8.5) is visible just to the south-
west in telescopes of at least 6”. There is also another even fainter cluster,
IC 2157, just bit further to the west. With wider fields, you can see all three
clusters in the same field. The effect is striking, especially with larger
apertures.
Imaging M35 is really a lot of fun. You can see it on long exposures even
with very wide field views, and higher magnification images really bring
out the striking loops and whirls or stars.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
Image courtesy of Jan Wisniewski.
56 Chapter 4
NGC 2244 in Monoceros (Rosette Nebula Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): NGC 2244, NGC 2237
RA: 06h 32m
Dec: +04°52¢
Distance: 4,000 LY
Size: 28¢
NGC 2244 is a star cluster in the process of being born. The surrounding
nebula, known as the Rosette Nebula, is estimated to have a mass of more
than 10,000 Suns. The high energy of the super-massive young stars in
the cluster are exciting the gas in the nebula, making it glow. The size of the
nebula and cluster is more than 130 light years in diameter. This is one of
the largest nebulae known. Several of the stars have masses of more than
30 times that of the Sun.
There are many small dark globules within the nebula. These globule
features are seen in other star formation nebulae. These are believed to be
dense areas of gas and dust in the process of contracting and have not yet
ignited as stars.
58 Chapter 4
The youngest type of newborn stars are known Herbig-Haro objects. These
stars often have jets of gas associated with them. These jets have been
noticed in NGC 2244, some as large as 3 light years long.
There has also recently been new star formation activity noticed at the
edges of the nebula, where the pressure from the energy flowing out from
the massive stars in center seem to be pushing the gas and dust together,
spurring this newer star development. It is likely that this nebula may
spawn more than one cluster before it finally dissipates.
Imaging of NGC 2244 can produce some of the most amazing results. Due
to the variety of stars and types of gas and light coming from the nebula,
terrific images can be made using various filters, including H-alpha,
Oxygen III, red, and others.
3”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
60 Chapter 4
M41 in Canis Major
Type: Open cluster

RA: 06h 46m
Dec: -20°45¢
Distance: 2,000 LY
Size: 45¢
M41 is an excellent object for observing with the naked eye or through modest
instruments. It was known by ancient astronomers, even being mentioned
by Aristotle in 350 bc. The cluster has more than 200 members with 100+
being visible in modest-sized telescopes. The actual extent of M41 is more
than 20 light years. In this cluster is an interesting red giant with a luminosity
of more than 700 times that of the Sun. This red star is centrally located,
which stands out prominently in even modest-sized telescopes. In telescopes
above 8”, this central red star should resolve into two red stars.
At a distance of 2,000+ light years, M41 is quite striking in even small

‘scopes. It is receding from us at around 20 miles/s.
M41 is an excellent subject for imaging, as is evidenced by the accompanying

images taken by Jan Wisniewski. The bright blue giants make a striking
contrast to the central red giant star.
2”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
62 Chapter 4
M93 in Puppis
Type: Open cluster

RA: 07h 44m
Dec: -23°45¢
Distance: 3,400 LY
Size: 23¢
M93 is one of the most colorful of the open clusters. It was one of the
Messier objects actually discovered by Charles Messier himself. The wedge
shape is very noticeable in even a 4” telescope.
The colors of the stars in M93 range from orange and yellow to blue. The
brightest stars in the cluster are in fact blue giants. M93 also has nearly a
dozen red giants. These stars have been found to have similar abundance
of metals to the Sun. This means that perhaps some of the stars in M93
could have planets similar to those in our Solar System. With the age of
M93 being some 200 million years, could there be an early Earth there?
64 Chapter 4
It is really interesting to look at this cluster and wonder if one of the stars
we are looking at is an early Sun.
Although the cluster is not very large, it is extremely good for imaging.
The bright central wedge of stars and colorful splatter of stars surrounding
make for some very striking images. The bright blue stars in the core make a
beautiful contrast to the yellow and orange stars in the surrounding area.
The eclipsing variable BU Puppis is located in M93. At maximum BU is only

13th magnitude; however, this is within the range of measurement with
10”+ telescopes.
3”+ refractor
5”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
66 Chapter 4
M48 in Hydra
Type: Open cluster

RA: 08h 13m
Dec: -05°47¢
Distance: 1,500 LY
Size: 55¢
M48 is a large, relatively close star cluster located in the constellation

Hydra (The Sea Serpent). This is a beautiful cluster with brilliant blue and
yellow stars. There are over 40 stars down to 11th magnitude, making it a
fine object in 3–5” telescopes at about 50–60×.
There has been some confusion about this object, as Messier placed it
about 4° north of where it actually is. This faulty measurement has caused
some errors on star charts, including the original Norton’s and the seasonal
star charts. Messier discovered this cluster in 1777. It is an extremely fine
object at lower power. Perhaps Herschel described it best as a “[f]ine large,
pretty rich, very straggling cluster of stars …”
There are several red giant stars in M48 along with a few spectroscopic
binaries. This is an interesting cluster about 1,500 light years further out in
the galaxy from us. It is a little over 20 light years in diameter and roughly
300 million years old. There are at least 80 members in this fine cluster,
many of which are hot blue and white stars. The total luminosity of M48 is
estimated to be over 1,000 times that of the Sun.
Photographically, M48 is a wonderful object. With an effective focal length

of 1,000–1,500 mm this cluster is beautifully framed with a 35 mm camera
and will show detail even with shorter exposures. With longer exposures,
the center stands out nicely and shows off the cluster’s true variety of
colors. With CCD photography, the smaller “plate” size lets you use a shorter
lens to get similar results. The beautiful example by Jan Wizniewski on the
accompanying page was done with a 135 mm lens.
Located somewhat all by itself in western Hydra, M48 is about 25° south of
the Praesepe or Beehive cluster (M44) in Cancer. On some charts it is
marked in the wrong location or as a separate object from NGC2548. They
are one and the same and at the location specified above.
binoculars 10× and up

finderscope
3–5” wide field refractor
any other telescope that can provide a nice view of about 1° of the sky
68 Chapter 4
M44 in Cancer (Beehive or Praesepe Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

RA: 08h 40m
Dec: +19°58¢
Distance: 530 LY
Size: 100¢
The “Beehive Cluster” is sometimes called the Praesepe Cluster. This beautiful
cluster has been observed since ancient times. There are many ancient
references to this cluster, including by Erathosthenes, Ptolemy, and Aratos,
the descriptions ranging from “mist” to “cloud.” Galileo was the first to
discover and resolve the Praesepe into stars, describing it as “… a mass of
40 or more small stars …” The “Beehive,” as it is also known, is easily
resolved by smaller telescopes. There are more than 300 stars in the cluster
and well over 200 can be seen even in a 4” telescope. The best views can be
had with wide field telescopes at lower power.
Many main sequence stars are contained within the Beehive. Several giant
stars and white dwarfs are also present. It is believed that this cluster, which
70 Chapter 4
lies about 530 light-years distant, is about 400 million years old. There is also
some evidence that this cluster may have been created in the same original
nebula as the Hyades cluster in Taurus. The Beehive is about 40 light years
across, with a central concentration about 15 lights years in diameter.
The Beehive contains a number of variable stars. TX Cancri is perhaps the

most notable variable in the cluster. It is an eclipsing binary with a period
of about 9 h. The variable stars BN and BU Cancri are pulsating rotating
variables of the d (Delta) Scuti type.
Delta Scuti stars are fairly rare; however, M44 contains more of these stars
than any other cluster. The variables of this class in M44 include BN, BQ, BS,
BT, BU, BW, EP Cancri, and KW284.
This class of variable pulsates regularly like stars of the RR Lyrae type, only
with much lower amplitude (change in brightness). These stars are A and F
class (white) giant stars with a luminosity of 25–50 times that of the Sun and
1.5–2.5 solar masses. Their periods range from about 30 min up to about 5 h.
It is interesting to note that Delta Scuti also seems to share the same
motion in space as the Hyades and Beehive cluster, indicating perhaps
similar origins.
Photographically, the Beehive is quite spectacular. It is relatively easy to

obtain good results, as it has more than 75 stars above the tenth magni-
tude. Effective focal lengths of 400–800 mm give really nice results. The
brilliant blue and white stars in the Beehive make for excellent images.
The Beehive is located right in the middle of the “shell” of Cancer the Crab.
It is located only 8° north of another beautiful open cluster, M67.
binoculars 10× and up

finderscope
any other telescope that can provide a nice view of about 1° of the sky
The image above was taken by Jan Wisniewski with a Cookbook 245 LDC
CCD camera attached to a 135 mm f4 lens on February 14, 1999, from
Sooke, BC. It is composed of unfiltered – 10 × 30 s – exposures processed
with Multi245, AIP245 and PhotoPaint 8.
72 Chapter 4
M67 in Cancer
Type: Open cluster

RA: 08h 50m
Dec: +11°50¢
Distance: 2,500 LY
Size: 30¢
M67 is a fine large cluster of contrasting blue and yellow stars. In a tele-
scope of 8”+ this object is quite spectacular. In smaller ‘scopes its large size
and brightness makes it one of the better clusters for smaller apertures.
M67 was cataloged by Messier in 1780, although it is believed that J. G.

Koehler (1745–1801) first discovered this object. Herschel described it as “a
pretty rich cluster …” More than 200 stars can be viewed in telescopes of
8”+. In a 3–5” ‘scopes it can be seen as a faint fuzzy patch.
M67 is an extremely old cluster at over 4 billion years. This cluster has many
large stars, which have been aging off the main sequence. Having more
than 500 members in its compact size of about 20 light years makes this an
extremely stable object. M67 is also unique in its location. It is found some
1,500 light years above the galactic disk. This is the domain of globular
clusters. Even though this cluster is similar in some respects to globular
clusters, it is rich in metals like the Sun is. Such metal enrichment makes it
plausible that some of the stars in this cluster could have planets. In fact
more than 100 Sun-type stars have been identified in M67.
Photographically M67 requires longer exposures and preferably apertures

of 8”+ as it is a sixth magnitude object. With CCD or faster film nice results
can be obtained. You can obtain some extremely striking pictures with
10–12” ‘scopes.
M67 is located just south of the “shell” of Cancer the Crab. It is also some 8°
south of the large bright open cluster M44.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
74 Chapter 4
Collinder 285 in URSA Major (URSA Major Moving

Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): Collinder 285
RA: 12h
Dec: +55°
Visual magnitude: 2
Distance: 70 LY
Size: 25°
This cluster is the closest known cluster at 75 light years distant. It contains
most of the bright stars of the Big Dipper, with a total of about 15–20
members. There are also perhaps 100 stars scattered around the sky, which
appear to be lost members of the cluster. These additional stars, including
Sirius, share the same motion in space as the cluster. Our own Solar System
is located on the fringes of the cluster.
76 Chapter 4
This cluster is obviously a large object, and only individual members may
be viewed with a telescope. Even with binoculars the whole extent of it
cannot be viewed at once.
There are a few interesting objects in this cluster. The double star Mizar
(z Zeta Ursa Majoris) is a fine double star separated by 14 arc seconds,
making it easily viewed even in a small ‘scope. The two stars are magnitude
2.4 and 4.0. The period of rotation of the two stars is estimated to be about
200 years, with a true orbital separation of 36 billion miles. The brighter
component (Mizar A) is actually a close binary star, with each component
being about 35 times as bright as the Sun and separated by about 27 million
miles. Mizar B is also itself a double star, making Mizar a quadruple system.
The star Alcor (80 Ursa Majoris) is located only 12 arc minutes from Mizar
and makes a nice visual double. Alcor is located about 3 light years behind
Mizar, making it not part of the Mizar physical system.
The Big Dipper is always visible for observers north of latitude 40°. It rides
high in the sky upside down in the spring.
Suggested Instrument
the naked eye

78 Chapter 4
M68 in Hydra

Designation(s): M68, NGC 4590
RA: 12h 39m
Dec: -26°45¢
Distance: 33,000 LY
Size: 12¢
M68 is a large globular cluster that is nicely viewed in a 4–5” refractor or

6–8” reflector. In larger instruments many more stars begin to resolve.
As a very ancient object, M68 is well over 140 light years in diameter. It
contains a dense concentration of old stars, with over 250 giant stars. These
huge stars have an absolute magnitude of less than 0, which is about half
that of super globular clusters M13 and M3. M68 is a large, respectable
cluster of hundreds of thousands stars. The overall spectral class is A6
(blue-white), which is fairly typical for globular clusters.
This beautiful object contains over 40 variables, many of which are of the
RR Lyrae-type, also known as cluster-type variables. These stars are com-
mon in globular clusters and represent large stars that are moving off the
main sequence and have begun to pulsate.
M68 lends itself to photographic record with larger telescopes. The use of
CCD cameras and “image integration” (the CCD equivalent of long expo-
sure photography) has placed many of the borderline photographic tar-
gets such as M68 well into the realm of amateurs. In fact many of the CCD
images coming out of amateur hands today rivals serious professional
images of a few decades ago.
M68 is located in Hydra about 4° south of the second magnitude star b

(Beta) Corvi. About 9° north of M68 is NGC4361 (the Galaxy Nebula), a
tenth magnitude planetary nebula in Corvus, so-called because of its
resemblance to a galaxy.
Also nearby is the Mira type variable star FI Hydrae. This star is very red, as
is typical of long-period variables. It has a period of 324 days and varies up
to about ninth magnitude.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
8”+ catadioptric
80 Chapter 4
M53 in Coma Berenices

RA: 13h 13m
Dec: +18°10¢
Distance: 55,000 LY
Size: 13¢
M53 is a distant globular cluster with relatively few stars for a globular. It is
a nice object in telescopes from about 4” and up. In the larger ‘scopes many
more stars come out. The best observations seem to be with about 50× in
a 6”+ telescope. Smaller ‘scopes show a small fuzzy spot. In telescopes of
10” or more the great splendor really begins to come out.
M53 is one of the more distant globular clusters, at more than 60,000 light
years from us. The overall luminosity is roughly 200,000 times that of
the Sun. It contains over 100,000 stars, over 40 of which have been identi-
fied as variables. The variables are of the RR Lyrae (or cluster variables)
82 Chapter 4
type. These variables are similar to the Cepheid variables in that their
period is related to their luminosity. This is helpful in determining dis-
tances to globular clusters.
This cluster is also known to be particularly “metal poor.” Most globular

clusters have very little in the way of heavy elements, as they were formed
early on in the universe. This cluster must also have been formed early on
to be so poor in the heavier elements, which are formed in the hearts of
stars and distributed when they go supernova and blast huge quantities of
these elements into space.
Less than 1° to the southeast is NGC 5053, a small globular cluster also
located about 55,000 light years away. This is estimated to have only
around 5,000 stars and a total luminosity of 15,000 Suns. This is very low for
a globular. It is about 11th magnitude and a rather difficult object in
smaller ‘scopes.
Photographically, M53 is quite attractive. With effective focal lengths of

3,000 mm+ it photographs very nicely. Photographs with larger ‘scopes
and 800–1,000 mm FL can nicely frame both M53 and NGC 5053.
M53 is located about 1° northwest of the Alpha Comae Berenices, a binary

star in the eastern part of the constellation. It is also roughly 10° due west
of Arcturus.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
8”+ catadioptric
84 Chapter 4
M3 in Canes Venatici

RA: 13h 42m
Dec: +28°23¢
Distance: 34,000 LY
Size: 17¢
M3 is one of the most beautiful and rich globular clusters visible. It con-
tains more than half a million stars and is just barely a naked-eye object.
Even in small instruments this object is wonderful to observe. In binoculars
M3 is a small fuzzy patch. With instruments of 5” or more, the outer edges
show some stars. With an 8” or 10” aperture the richness of this cluster is
truly amazing. With larger instruments of 12” aperture or more, this cluster
is truly among the best objects visible to the amateur observer. The intense
center and sparkling stars extending outward seems to explode into the
eyepiece. At 100× this is an object so beautiful, you can spend hours just
examining every detail and always finding something new.
With over 500,000 stars M3 is almost a galaxy unto itself. Charles Messier
discovered this beautiful cluster in 1764. M3 is over 160 light years in
diameter and is more than 300,000 times the luminosity of our Sun.
The overall mass of M3 is estimated at over 150,000 that of the Sun. It, like
most of the globular clusters in our galaxy, are more than 10 billion years
old. The brightest stars visible have already evolved into the giant stage.
This rich cluster has been studied in detail and more than 170 RR Lyrae
(cluster) type variable stars have been identified, with more than 200 vari-
ables in total discovered. This makes it the number one globular cluster so
far for variables in the galaxy. One astronomer alone (S. I. Bailey) identified
over 80 of these variables on his own in the 1880s. Bailey discovered these
with plates taken with the 13” Boyden Telescope at the Harvard College
Arequipa, Peru, observatory. Many of these variables have such short peri-
ods (1/2 day or even less) that they can change brightness noticeably in
less than 15 min.
Less than 7° to the east of M3 is the fainter globular cluster NGC 5466.
This cluster is located 55,000 light years away and is around ninth magnitude.
It is a challenging object for telescopes smaller than 6”. It is somewhat
packed with stars; however, a telescope of at least 15” is required to
attempt any semblance of resolution.
M3, like M13, is one of the brightest globular clusters in the sky. It, like most
of the globular clusters in our galaxy, are more than 10 billion years old.
The brightest stars visible have evolved into giant stars.
M3 is located about midway between Arcturus and Cor Caroli (a {alpha}

Canum Venaticorum). It is also located about 10° west of the Coma Star
Cluster (Mellotte 111).
binoculars
3”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
86 Chapter 4
M5 in Serpens

RA: 15h 18m
Dec: +02°05¢
Distance: 24,000 LY
Size: 18¢
M5 is one of the really spectacular globular clusters in the night sky. This
extremely old globular cluster has hundreds of thousands of stars. It is a
terrific cluster even in binoculars; although with larger telescopes its true
beauty is brought to light.
G. Kirch of the Berlin Observatory first discovered this lovely object in

1702. Kirch was a former student of the famous Polish astronomer
Johannes Hevelius. Kirch would later go on to direct the Berlin Observatory
and discover a comet and numerous variable stars. The object was added
88 Chapter 4
to Charles Messier’s list in 1764, whose small telescope didn’t resolve any
stars in M5.
M5 is over 150 light years in diameter and contains at least a quarter of a

million stars. It is noted for its age of over 13 billion years and its large
number of variables. The bulk of these variables are RR Lyrae type varia-
bles, as is typical of globular clusters. One variable, however, is a dwarf
nova, a unique type of variable star noted for sometimes being the precursors
to supernovae.
There are over 100 variable stars in M5, the most noticeable being desig-
nated Variable 42 by the Harvard Observatory. M5 changes brightness
from 10th to the 12th magnitude. It is located in the outer fringes of the
cluster in the southwest.
Just 2° to the south is the 11th magnitude globular cluster Pal-5, located clear
on the opposite side of the galaxy from us 75,000 light years away. It is pos-
sible to see this cluster in a 6” telescope as a faint haze. It certainly is a good
test of the mid-size telescope. This distant globular was discovered by the
Palomar Sky Survey of the 1950s, hence the Pal-5 name. It is believed that it
will significantly disrupt the next time it passes near the galactic core.
Photographically, M5 is a terrific object. Its brightness and fairly good size

make it easy to get good results. Effective focal lengths of 2,000–3,000 mm
prove a nice field of view with 35 mm. Shorter effective focal lengths would
be used with CCD imaging, depending upon the chip size. With the nice color
variation in this cluster, color photography can create some striking images.
M5 is located in Serpens Caput (The Serpent’s Head) about 6° southwest of

a (Alpha) Serpentis. It is actually easier to find by looking about 10° due
north of b (Beta) Librae. In the finder it is a small fuzzy patch.
binoculars
3”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
90 Chapter 4
M80 in Scorpius

RA: 16h 18m
Dec: -23°0¢
Distance: 27,000 LY
Size: 9¢
M80 is a relatively small globular, best suited for instruments of 8” or larger.

In smaller telescopes it is small and rather indistinct. In large amateur
instruments of 10” and up, it resolves nicely into a small mass with a few
scattered stars about it. With telescopes of 13” and up, M80 really begins to
show its nicely knotted outer core of stars.
M80 is home to at least 300,000 stars and is extremely dense. There are
indications that this high density has caused many of the stars to lose their
outer layers in collisions in the compact core. The information gathered
shows that there are a large number of stellar collisions and close encounters
deep inside this beautiful object.
M80 is also the location of at least one known nova, in 1860. As novae are
commonly due to interactions between close stars, it is highly probable
that additional novae will erupt in this tightly compacted globular cluster.
The Hubble Space Telescope has already identified several close novae-type
binary systems in M80.
This is what makes viewing M80 and similar clusters so interesting. It is very
likely that an amateur observer will discover the next nova seen in M80.
Charles Messier discovered M80 in 1780. He described it as “… resembling

the nucleus of a comet.” This was quite appropriate, given his instrumentation
and task at hand of cataloging objects easily confused with comets.
Just outside the borders of M80 to the east are the two long-period variables
R and S Scorpii. They vary in brightness from 9th to 15th magnitude. S varies
over a period of 177 days and R of 226 days.
Photographically M80 is best suited to larger instruments. With CCD results

can often be quite nice, though, even in 6” or 8” telescopes. The small angular
size makes eyepiece projection necessary in order to get the image scale to
20 or 30 min diameter for nice framing.
M80 is easy to locate midway between a (Alpha) Scorpii {Antares} and b

(Beta) Scorpii {Graffias}. Nearby, just west of Antares, is M4, a beautiful
globular cluster.
4”+ refractor
5”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
92 Chapter 4
M4 in Scorpius

RA: 16h 24m
Dec: -26°30¢
Distance: 7,000 LY
Size: 27¢
M4 is one of the nicest globular clusters in the sky. It is somewhat loosely

packed as a globular; however, this makes it easily resolvable into stars
even in a 4” or 5” telescope. In a 6” or 8” telescope it is really a wondrous
object. Many nights can be spent looking at M4 through a 6” telescope,
and most viewers can certainly attest to its beauty and almost three-
dimensional qualities. Since the extent of this cluster is nearly that of the
full Moon, it doesn’t require much magnification to see its whole extent.
Usually 50× or 60× is sufficient to show it nicely.
Philippe Loys de Cheseaux discovered M4 in 1746. It was later added as

one of the first of Messier’s famous objects. de Cheseaux was a another
94 Chapter 4
astronomer who, like Messier, compiled a list of nebulous objects. He also

discovered M71, another fine cluster in the constellation Sagitta. He is
most famous perhaps for his discovery of the famous “six-tailed” comet of
1743. This was one of the objects that Charles Messier observed in his
youth and which inspired him to pursue astronomy.
M4 is nearly a naked-eye object, at only 7,000 light years distant. It is also

a very sparse globular, with perhaps less than 100,000 stars. It is, however,
quite large at over 50 light years across. There is a notable bar-type struc-
ture of stars running across the entire cluster. This bar can be seen even in
smaller telescopes.
There have been close to 50 variable stars discovered in M4, mostly of the
RR Lyrae or cluster variable type. This unique type of star is similar to
the pulsating Cepheid type variable star and is useful in determining the
distance to objects, as there exist a calculable relationship between the
star’s period and its luminosity. Interestingly M4 also has pulsar. This par-
ticular pulsar is one of the youngest known, with a period of only 3 ms
(330 times a second), which makes it even faster than the famous Crab
Nebula pulsar.
Photographically M4 is a wonderful object. Its size and brightness make it

easy to get good results. The picture that follows was taken using a 500 mm
lens. With either CCD or film, M4 presents some interesting opportunities
for beautiful pictures. It is also located only about 1.5° from Antares and
just under 5° from M80. There have been some stunning 35 mm film
pictures taken with 135–200 mm lenses showing the whole area.
M4 is quite easy to locate. It is approximately 1½°s west of Antares. Another

fine globular cluster, M80 is located about 4° north.
binoculars
3”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
3.5”+ catadioptric
96 Chapter 4
M107 in Ophiuchus

RA: 16h 33m
Dec: -13°02¢
Distance: 20,000 LY
Size: 10¢
M107 is one of at was added by his successor, Pierre Mechain, in 1782.

M107 is visible as a faint patch in telescopes up to about 7” or 8”. With larger
telescopes the outer stars begin to resolve. This object is a good test of an
8” telescope for resolving the stars. With 12” of aperture or more, this is a
fine visual object. This cluster presents a nice challenge for the amateur
observer with a modest instrument.
The structure of M107 contains some interesting dark nebulae interspersed

with the stars. These features are quite striking in an instrument of over 13”
in aperture. They are, however, quite lost in smaller telescopes.
This cluster contains tens of thousands of stars in an area roughly 60 light

years across. In contrast there are less than 300 stars in a similar area
around the Sun. The stars in M107 are typically metal poor and are quite
old, on the order of 10–12 billion years. There are also more than 20 varia-
ble stars identified in M107. The bulk of these are the classic “cluster” or RR
Lyrae-type variables. These stars pulsate regularly and have been used
quite effectively to determine the distances to globular stars clusters. This
distant object is approaching us at nearly 150 km/s.
Less than 2° to the northwest is V Ophiuchi, a long-period variable star. This

star varies from 7th to 11th magnitude in a bit less than 300 days. These
stars are at the end of their lives and are surrounded by clouds of dust,
which presumably is being puffed out as the star dramatically changes in
size and brightness. The brightness sometimes varies 100 times as the star
grows to immense proportions and then shrinks back down again over
hundreds of days.
Photographically M107 is challenging, due to its relatively low surface

brightness. However with perseverance and a bit of luck very nice results
are possible. The photographic plate can reveal much more detail than the
naked eye can see. An 8” telescope can produce excellent results, especially
with CCD technology.
Located just 3° south-southwest of z (Zeta) Ophiuchi, M107 is quite easy to

find, as it is a second magnitude blue giant star located about 15° north of
Antares.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
6”+ catadioptric
98 Chapter 4
M13 in Hercules

RA: 16h 40m
Dec: +36°28¢
Distance: 23,000 LY
Size: 17¢
M13 is perhaps the finest globular cluster in the northern skies. It is a rich
and exciting object in virtually all telescopes. The subtle star patterns within
it are visible in instruments of 10” and up. However, in smaller telescopes it
can be truly awe-inspiring. This is quite amazing, when one thinks that this
object is over 20,000 light years away. This beautiful cluster is also known
as the Great Globular Cluster of Hercules – certainly an understatement, as
it is surely the finest globular cluster visible in the northern hemisphere.
Discovered in 1714 by Edmund Halley of Halley’s Comet fame, M13 has

been cataloged by many famous astronomers. Included in this long list of
M13 admirers are Charles Messier, who described it as “… round & brilliant,
the center is more brilliant than the edges ….” John Herschel described it
100 Chapter 4
as “… hairy-looking …” in 1833. Such descriptions perhaps were tainted by

the lack of instrument quality of the day. However they do indicate that
even with inferior instrumentation, some hint of structure is visible.
With more than one million stars M13 is one of the more populous globular
clusters in our galaxy. It is well over 100 light years across, with a density of
more than one star per cubic light year at the core. It is located about the
same distance from the galactic core as the Sun. The age of M13 is well over
10 billion years, perhaps as old as 15 billion years. This makes M13 among
the oldest objects in our galaxy.
Interestingly M13 does not contain a large number of RR Lyrae or cluster

variables, as do most other globular clusters. Astronomers have been
somewhat puzzled by this fact, and much research has been undertaken
on this subject.
The faint 11th magnitude galaxy NGC 6207 is located ½° to the northeast
of M13. This object is pretty challenging in instruments less than 10”
aperture. It will however show up in wider field photos of M13.
Photographically M13 is quite a nice object. Even with short exposures

using piggyback astrophotography, nice results are possible. However
owing to its size, pictures through the telescope are preferable. With CCD
cameras amazing results are possible. The picture of M13 here by Jan
Wisniewski shows how beautiful pictures can be taken with modest-size
telescopes yielding results previously only available to professionals with
very large instruments.
M13 is easily located in the keystone of Hercules. It is about a third of the

way from h(eta) to z(zeta) Herculis (the two westernmost stars in the
keystone).
binoculars
2.5”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
102 Chapter 4
M12 in Ophiuchus

RA: 16h 47m
Dec: -01°58¢
Distance: 15,000 LY
Size: 15¢
M12 is a beautiful and loose globular cluster that is relatively small and yet
quite nice, even in smaller telescopes. With a 3” telescope this is an easy
object to locate. However it does require a larger ‘scope of perhaps 10” to
really resolve it nicely. This object seems to lend itself nicely to refracting
telescopes. The views through a 6” or 8” refractor can be quite as good as a
10” or bigger reflector. This is perhaps due to its looseness and relative
brightness coupled with the superb resolving power of refracting
telescopes.
Charles Messier, who discovered it in 1764, described it as round and faint.

John Herschel resolved it into stars and described its knots of stars and
loose construction.
M12 is located about 15,000 light years away in Ophiuchus and has an
actual diameter in excess of 70 light years. In large instruments and in
some photographs a hint of spiral structure seems to exist. This may simply
be an illusion; however, certain other globular clusters also seem to show
this trait. The presence of at least a dozen cluster variables have been
noted in M12, which makes it somewhat poor in variables, similar to M13
in Hercules.
An interesting fact is that this cluster seems to be about the same age, size,
and distance as its nearby companion globular cluster, M10. In fact they
both are perhaps moving around the galaxy together. They are less than
2,000 light years apart, and in each other’s sky would appear as large
bright objects. They also both have similar and low radial velocities of
approximately 15 km/s in approach.
Photographically M12 is more challenging than some other deep sky

objects; however, at sixth magnitude, it shows up on even short exposures.
The longer exposures are required to really bring out the innermost
details.
M12 is quite easy to locate, as it is only 3° from M10 and almost 8½° due
east of d (delta) Ophiuchi.
binoculars
3.5”+ refractor
5”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
104 Chapter 4
NGC 6231 in Scorpius
Type: Open cluster

RA: 16h 54m
Dec: -41°48¢
Distance: 6,000 LY
Size: 15¢
A very nice cluster, NGC 6231 is one of nicer objects in the sky. It is quite
striking and full of bright, hot young stars. This is a good object for small
telescopes. Even a 3” aperture can really show this cluster nicely. Larger
telescopes don’t seem to add a whole lot more definition, just brightness.
A 5” telescope is about ideal for this cluster. It’s interesting to wonder if the
Sun formed inside just such a cluster billions of years ago. Due to its rather
southern declination it is a difficult if not impossible object for many northern
observers. It is certainly worthwhile to hunt it out when on vacation in
southern latitudes.
106 Chapter 4
The astronomer Hodierna discovered NGC6231and included it in his

Palermo catalog of 1654. It was not included in Messier’s list, presumably
because it was too far south from anyplace he normally observed from.
At 3.2 million years old, NGC 6231 is quite young by galactic standards.
As with most young clusters, it is dominated by large, hot stars. There have
been some recent studies of this cluster showing it to be over 10 light years
in diameter.
NGC 6231 also contains a large number of variables. Most notably several
b (Beta) Cephei-type variables have been discovered. These unique stars
are pulsating stars of small magnitude variations. They may perhaps be
precursors to the more well-known d (delta) Cephei (Cepheid) pulsating
stars. There are also several P Cygni variables present. These are extremely
massive stars, which periodically erupt with almost nova-like outbursts.
They are noted for their unique spectral components. Interestingly enough
some quasars also show these strange spectral characteristics.
Photographically NGC 6231 is quite easy. It is well known as a good photo-

graphic subject even in smaller instruments. Use a reasonably fast film
400+ ASA for this bright object. Even exposures of 5 min can give good
results.
Located at the lower curve of the scorpion NGC 623, it is very close and just
north of z (Zeta) Scorpii.
binoculars
3”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
108 Chapter 4
M10 in Ophiuchus

RA: 16h 57m
Dec: -04°06¢
Distance: 14,000 LY
Size: 16¢
M10 is a beautiful globular cluster with a rich, dense core. It is an excellent

object on telescopes of 5” and up. With an 8” or 10” aperture, the stars
begin to resolve and the subtle structure within comes out. Its twin, M12,
located only 3° away, is considerably looser, and the pair make a nice con-
trast. The overall magnitude is 6.6, which makes it visible even in binocu-
lars. However, to really get the best views, a telescope of 5” or 6” really is
best. With a 12” or 16” telescope the soft blue and orange colors of the
giant stars abounding is brought out nicely.
This fine cluster has more than 100,000 stars tightly knit together and is
perhaps 80 light years across. There are very few variable stars in M10, making
it similar to M13 in that respect. M10 is moving away from us at 70 km/s.

It appears to be associated with its nearby neighbor, M12. They are both
located about the same distance from us.
A bit over a degree due north of M10 is the long-period variable SS

Ophiuchi. This long-period (or Mira-type) variable pulsates from 7th to
14th magnitude in a period of 180 days. These large reddish stars pulsate
in and out, growing brighter and dimmer over a reasonably regular period
of between 100 and 1,000 days. The first of these stars to be discovered as
a variable was Mira (Omicron Ceti) in 1596 by German astronomer David
Fabricius who was looking for Mercury at the time.
With the nice dense core M10 is easier photographically than its twin, M12.
You can also get some very nice pictures taken with a wider field showing
both clusters in the same frame. CCD imaging can provide really fine
results, especially as shorter exposures are required.
This cluster is located only 3° from M12 and a bit over 10° southeast of d
(delta) Ophiuchi.
binoculars
3.5”+ refractor
5”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
110 Chapter 4
M62 in Ophiuchus

RA: 17h 01m
Dec: -30°06¢
Distance: 22,000 LY
Size: 15¢
A misshapen cluster, but certainly intriguing, M62 is bright, dense, and

reasonably large. It is a very interesting object in a suitable telescope. A 5”
telescope begins to show some nice details, with views really becoming
quite nice in a 10”+ ‘scope.
M62, like many of the globular clusters, can be resolved to a much greater
degree by long observation. After looking at it for many minutes, new
details seem to just appear. You will notice that if you use averted vision
and scan back and forth across the field with your eyes, even without
112 Chapter 4
averted vision you begin to notice new and finer details. This perhaps is
just an illusion; however, try it sometime!
It appears that M62’s proximity to the galactic core has warped it out of
shape considerably. This may be one of the things that makes M62 such an
interesting object. If you look close enough you can see really fine strings
of stars stretching out in whirls and curious shapes near the edges of
the cluster.
M62 is one of the objects discovered by Charles Messier himself. He discov-

ered it in 1771 and described it as a “beautiful nebula” and “comet like.”
Dreyer described it as “remarkable.” M62 is located about 21,000 light years
away toward the galactic core. It is over 50 light years in diameter, with well
over 100,000 stars. Over 90 variables have been identified within M62, with
the bulk being cluster (RR Lyrae)-type variables. These stars are older stars
that pulsate rapidly as they expand and contract. Their extremely regular
light variations are related to their luminosity. This gives astronomers a
perfect guidepost for measuring distances to these objects quite accurately.
Interestingly enough, recent work with the ROSAT satellite has shown an
X-ray source at the core of M62. This is of particular interest, as visual obser-
vations seem to indicate a somewhat recent core collapse of the cluster.
This may be an indicator of a large black hole at the center of M62. There is
also substantial evidence for neutron star pulsars inside globular cluster
cores. A number of gamma ray sources have been found inside their cores,
including the core of M62.
Photographically M62 is quite nice. It has a sharp central core and resolves
well outside that. This makes photographs quite striking, even with modest
exposures. The asymmetry is quite evident in photographs and is just
another reason to shoot a few pictures of this really fine and interesting
cluster.
4”+ refractor
5”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
114 Chapter 4
M19 in Ophiuchus

RA: 17h 02m
Dec: -26°15¢
Distance: 23,000 LY
Size: 14¢
M19 is a striking globular cluster located very close to the galactic core. It
is known for its oval shape and swirling star patterns. The soft glow of M19 is
easy visible in binoculars; however, for really incredible views a telescope is
required. There are references stating that M19 really needs a 12” or larger
‘scope to resolve stars in, but in this author’s experience this is not true.
Perhaps these viewings were made from far northern latitudes, where M19 is
on the horizon. In New York, which isn’t exactly a southern latitude at 41°N,
you can see M19 nicely in a 5” refractor. The stars on the edges at 150× seem
to come alive, and the oval shape is very evident, with little swirls of stars
seeming to come off the sides. In an 8” or a 10”‘scope much more detail is avail-
able to the observer, and some interesting patterns emerge. The edges seem
to be blotchy, as if there are clouds of dark dust surrounding the cluster.
M19 was discovered by the famous comet hunter Charles Messier, who
promptly added it to his list of “comet-like” objects in 1764. He described it
as a “superb cluster.” This is a really fitting description.
M19 is located very close to M62, not only in the sky but in actuality as well.
The two clusters seem to be less than 2,000 light years apart and could be
much closer. To an observer on a planet in M19, M62 would be many times
the size of the full Moon in the sky and very bright indeed.
M19 is over 60 light years in diameter and is receding from us at more than
60 miles/s. It is so close to the galactic core that it has been considerably
warped out of shape, like its close neighbor M62.
Unlike its nearby companion, M62, M19 has been found to only have seven
variables, all of them RR Lyrae (cluster)-type. These interesting objects are
pulsating stars, like the Cepheids, and are very useful in determining cosmic
distances.
Less than 1° to the east-southeast is the Cepheid variable BF Ophiuchi. This

is one of the extremely regular variable stars used to calculate stellar
distances. It is very similar to the RR Lyrae (cluster)-type variables found in
globular clusters, only brighter.
Photographically M19 can be pretty spectacular. With its easily resolved

areas and interesting shape, it makes for some very striking pictures. CCD
images, with their shorter exposures and flexibility, have really moved the
amateur a notch up, especially with objects such as M19.
Located only 4° north of M62 and 5° east of Antares, M19 is very easily
found. The area is rich with star clouds, and several other faint clusters,
including NGC 6293, are located nearby.
4”+ refractor
5”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
116 Chapter 4
M92 in Hercules

RA: 17h 18m
Dec: +43°08¢
Distance: 25,000 LY
Size: 12¢
M92 is one of the really nice naked-eye globular clusters. If it wasn’t

overshadowed by nearby M13, it would be the outstanding object of the
constellation Hercules.
Observing M92 is an experience even in small binoculars. The cluster is

round and bright with stars trailing off at the edges. This appears as a
round cottony effect in smaller ‘scopes, but in telescopes of 5” and up, the
edges resolve into myriads of stars seeming to flow from the bright central
core. This is even an object of beauty in a 3” or 4” telescope. The trick is to
really study the cluster. Clusters are interesting observationally in that
118 Chapter 4
after you have been looking at them a while, more and more detail seems
to come out, sometimes more than you might think possible. This is what
makes star clusters perfect objects for amateur observers. Those lucky
enough to be able to view M92 through a larger telescope of 15” or more
are in for a real treat.
Located 25,000 light years away and over 80 light years in diameter, M92 is
a giant among objects within the galaxy. It easily contains more than
300,000 stars. The age of M92 has been estimated at 15 billion years and
the cluster is approaching us at over 100 km/s.
M92 has only been found to have a dozen or so variables of the RR Lyrae
(cluster)-type. M92 does have an eclipsing binary variable. This is interest-
ing, as such systems are very rare in globular clusters. The fact that they are
rare is due to the fact that close interactions in the central regions of a
globular would normally disrupt binary systems.
Just about a degree south of M92 is TX Herculis, an eclipsing binary system

with a period of 2 days. There isn’t much known about this system, except
that it varies in brightness from eighth to ninth magnitude.
Photographically M92 is one of the nicest globular clusters available. Its

proximity to M13 makes it a good target for pictures on the same roll. But
it is a fine photographic object in its own right. It is extremely beautiful
when photographed in color, especially with some of the newer fast films
or even a CCD.
Located just north of the keystone, it is pretty easy to find in binoculars or

the finderscope. It is located midway between the two stars h (Eta) and i
(Iota) Herculis and is an easy hop north to M92 when at M13. It is certainly
worth the hop.
binoculars
3”+ refractor
3”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
120 Chapter 4
M9 in Ophiuchus

RA: 17h 19m
Dec: -18°30¢
Distance: 26,000 LY
Size: 10¢
Straddled by two vast and dark nebulae, M9 is surely is one of the least
dramatic globular clusters known. However, when we realize that some of
that dark nebulosity may be obscuring its true splendor, it makes you stop
and think. M9 is definitely visible in binoculars. To get a real taste, though,
you need a 4” or 5” aperture. With a bit of averted vision, you can begin to
resolve some of the intricate structure that makes up this unique cluster.
With an 8” or 10” telescope, even more detail seems to jump out. As you
sweep back and forth you can see the dark patches that are Barnard 259 (to
the east) and Barnard 64 (to the west). Even though M9 isn’t the brightest
and most spectacular globular cluster, it has a unique position in being
nestled between two vast clouds of dark nebulosity. In a large enough

telescope (perhaps 8” or 9”), you can clearly see that M9 isn’t round, like
most globular clusters, but somewhat flattened. Some observers have
described it as egg shaped, others as a squished diamond.
Even Messier had an interesting description: “Nebula, without star, in the

right leg of Ophiuchus; it is round & its light is faint.” Messier discovered
this object within the same week as he discovered M10 and M12 nearby.
M9 is by far the faintest of this group of clusters.
Located roughly 26,000 light years from us close to the galactic core, M9 is
receding at the staggering velocity of 220 km/s. Although this is only a
small fraction of the speed of light, it is still an impressive velocity for such
a large object. The size of M9 is in excess of 70 light years and it contains
more than 100,000 stars.
The dark nebulae nearby are of some interest observationally. They par-
tially obscure the light from M9 and sort of nicely frame it in wider field
views. Also just 1° to the northeast is NGC 6359, an eighth magnitude
globular cluster.
Photographically, this area is very interesting; with narrow fields you can
get nice shots of just M9. With 4° or 5° of image, you can see the dark nebu-
lae, star fields, and even NGC 6359. In the wider field shots, you can even
see the edges of the dark nebulae. They look almost like holes in space.
M9 is located about 4° southeast of Sabik (h (eta) Ophiuchi). It is easily

found in the finder or binoculars, as it is a bright smudge between two dark
patches in the surrounding star fields. Just a degree to the northeast is NGC
6356, a much dimmer globular, just barely visible in larger binoculars.
4”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
122 Chapter 4
M14 in Ophiuchus

RA: 17h 37m
Dec: -03°15¢
Distance: 25,000 LY
Size: 12¢
An interesting oval-shaped cluster, M14 is not the brightest globular, but it

may be one of the most striking. Its central core is relatively light. This
makes it easier to resolve than many of the bigger and brighter globulars.
There are some really nice details that can be made out in a 4” or 5” tele-
scope. Some nights you can see more detail in a long focus telescope than
in faster, larger ones. This may be because, although M14 isn’t overly
bright, it still is seventh magnitude, and the slower system sharpens the
124 Chapter 4
image up, resolving many more stars. Try M14 out with a mid-sized ‘scope
and see if you can spot the intricate details. You might even see an almost
spiral structure in a 9” telescope, but this may be an illusion.
Charles Messier discovered M14 in 1764, the same week as he discovered

M9. He described it as “This nebula is not large, its light is faint.” John
Herschel, with a much better instrument, saw it as a “delicate globular
cluster.”
M14 is over 50 light years in diameter and located 25,000 light years dis-
tant. It is very rich in variable stars, with close to 100 being cataloged. Most
of these are of the RR Lyrae class; however, in 1936, a nova was discovered
in M14. The RR Lyrae stars, as previously mentioned, are great distance
indicators, as their actual luminosity can be very accurately calculated from
their periods.
Photographically, M14 isn’t very difficult. It is small, however, and the best
results lately seem to be coming from CCD imaging. Resolving stars to the
core is possible even with modest equipment and patience. Even tradi-
tional photography can sometimes work. The shorter exposure times of
CCD makes it a bit easier on the guiding, though.
Located just 6½° south of g (gamma) Ophiuchi, M14 is pretty easy to spot
in binoculars or a small finder. It’s pretty well impossible to see with the
naked eye, unless you are a cat or superman. Once located it seems to
occupy a rather bland section of the sky, and you can pretty easily find it
again. It is fairly easy to find g (gamma) Ophiuchi, and M14 is located just
2° southeast of Celabra or b (beta) Ophiuchi.
4”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
126 Chapter 4
M6 in Scorpius (Butterfly Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

RA: 17h 40m
Dec: -32°13¢
Distance: 1,500 LY
Size: 25¢
M6 is a rich cluster with nearly 100 stars visible. This cluster is a naked-eye
object; however, in a small telescope, dozens of stars resolve. In a 3–4” tel-
escope you can clearly see most of the members to the core. The single
bright yellow-orange giant star contrasts strikingly with the predominantly
blue main sequence stars. With a 4–8” ‘scope it resolves wonderfully as one
of many people’s favorite open clusters. In larger telescopes it becomes
something of an explosion of stars that literally fills the eyepiece. The stars
seem to align in a delicate butterfly shape, hence its common nickname,
the “Butterfly Cluster.”
It is believed that this cluster is between 50 and 100 million years old and
is located about 1,500 light years toward the galactic center from us. The 50
brightest members vary in magnitude from 6 to 10.5, making all of them

quite visible even in small ‘scopes. The cluster is perhaps 20 light years
across. The brightest star is a K (yellow-orange) giant, with the balance
predominantly A and B (blue) main sequence stars.
The second brightest star, HD 160202 (magnitude 6.7), is flare-type varia-

ble, which in the past has shown a five magnitude increase in under an
hour’s time. The last outburst was recorded in 1965. Flare variables are also
known as UV Ceti stars. They are usually smaller reddish stars, which peri-
odically exhibit large localized explosions on their surface. They are inter-
esting to monitor because they will increase brightness by several
magnitudes within a few minutes time, sometimes even as fast as several
seconds, and then go back to normal over 10–30 min.
The brightest star is also known to be a long-period variable (BM Scorpii)

with a period of about 800 days. It typically varies between magnitudes 5.5
and 6.5.
Located just 1° to the west of M6 is NGC 6383, a fifth magnitude open clus-
ter and nebula. The nebula is quite faint, but the cluster is very nice. This
cluster is somewhat unique in that recently very high energy X-rays have
been discovered in a halo surrounding the cluster.
M6 is a very nice object for photography. There have been some amazing
photographs with 3”-class telescopes. Of course, exposures of 15+ min will
be required with most telescopes to get good results.
Located deep in the heart of the Milky Way in Scorpius, M6 is located a few
degrees northwest of another fine cluster (M7). It can be found just north
of the scorpion’s tail or directly west of the spout of Sagittarius’s teapot.
3”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
128 Chapter 4
M7 in Scorpius (Ptolemy’S Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

RA: 17h 53m
Dec: -34°49¢
Distance: 900 LY
Size: 82¢
M7 is a large, bright cluster located only 3½° from M6. It is, however, much
closer and brighter than the latter, with many more sixth and seventh mag-
nitude stars. The cluster is also quite large, owing to its relative proximity.
At over 1° in size it is one of the larger open clusters visible and certainly
the most noticeable deep sky object in Scorpius.
M7 is an ideal object for binoculars or small telescopes. The views of its

bright blue stars are quite exquisite, especially in wide field telescopes.
Viewed through a 3” or 4” F6 refracting ‘scope at low power, it seems to
jump out at you. This is one object that seems to lose something with high
magnification in larger telescopes.
130 Chapter 4
M7 is estimated to be around 250 million years old and is located about

900 light years distant. It contains over 100 stars, many of which are very
bright A- and B-type stars. The brightest star is a G8 (yellow) star of mag-
nitude 5.6.
There is a faint globular cluster, NGC-6453, in the field that is an 11th mag-
nitude fuzzy spot, which in larger telescopes resolves as having a brighter
center.
With its bright stars and large size, M7 is ideal for astrophotography. With
a field of 3–5° it sparkles on pictures. If the field is enlarged slightly and
allowed to include M6, some really nice pictures are possible.
M7 is located above the tail in Scorpius about 3½° southeast of the fine
open cluster M6.
any other telescope that can provide a nice view of 3+° of the sky
132 Chapter 4
M23 in Sagittarius
Type: Open cluster

RA: 17h 57m
Dec: -19°01¢
Distance: 2,000 LY
Size: 30¢
M23 is truly a beautiful star cluster. It is roughly the size of the full Moon
and contains over 50 bright stars. This object is beautiful even in binocu-
lars; however, in a 3–5” ‘scope at about 50× or 60× it is truly a wondrous
sight. In a 12”+ telescope over 100 stars resolve nicely. With its beautiful
blue and yellow giant stars this cluster can be observed on many a summer
evening.
M23 has over 150 members, some of which are beginning to begin to red-
den as the larger ones expand off the main sequence. Most of the stars are
B (blue) type stars. This stunning star cluster is about 2,000 light years
away and is about 250–300 million years old. It has an overall diameter of
about 15 light years and has density of about 30 stars per cubic parsec.
This makes it a relatively stable cluster. M23 is receding from us at about
8.5 km/s.
The two brightest stars, along with many of the other members, have been
identified as variable stars. The brightest star is a sixth magnitude B1 (blue)
giant variable star. The second brightest is an eighth magnitude G8 varia-
ble. This gives this cluster a unique personality, which can change a little
depending on when you observe it.
Photographically this is a very pleasing object. It can be photographed

nicely at prime focus with 1,000–1,500 mm focal length. With larger ‘scopes
and longer exposures or with CCD technology extremely nice results can
be had.
M23 is located in Sagittarius about 12° due north of Sagittarius’s teapot. It

is only about 4° north of the nice grouping of M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M20
(Trifid Nebula), and M21 Open Cluster. It is also about 5° west of another
fine grouping of objects; Clusters M24, M18, and M17 (Horseshoe Nebula).
The fine seventh magnitude globular cluster M9 is also located due west
of M23.
3”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
134 Chapter 4
M21 in Sagittarius
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 04m
Dec: -22°30¢
Distance: 3,000 LY
Size: 15¢
M21 is a cluster with a strongly concentrated central region. At magnitude

6.5 it is almost naked-eye visible and can easily be seen in a pair of small
binoculars. However, with about 30–50× in a 3” or 4” telescope it is quite
dazzling; note especially its outlying stars and dense core. It is buried in a
region of the Sagittarius Milky Way and is quite close to the Lagoon Nebula.
In a larger ‘scope the core opens up to reveal many more stars. You might
like to view this object at lower power (around 30×), which brings both
M21 and M20 (The Trifid Nebula) in the same field. With even lower power
(about 15–18×) you can usually get M21, M20, and M8 (the Lagoon Nebula)
all in the field.
136 Chapter 4
M21 is a cluster whose age has been estimated at only 4 million years, a
relative newcomer to the galaxy. The stars are mostly hot B-type (blue)
stars. The cluster is probably about 15–20 light years in diameter, making
the central density about ten stars per cubic parsec. This is relatively dense
for an open cluster. The estimates for its distance vary quite a bit, from
2,000 to 4,000 light years, with 3,000 seeming to be the best guess.
Photographic results are quite good, as there are a number of surrounding

objects of interest. Larger fields of 3° or 4° will reveal M8, M21, and M22.
Really wide fields of 10° can also capture other clusters – M23, M18, M28,
M17 (the Horseshoe Nebula) along with a huge swath of the Sagittarius
Milky Way. Longer exposures are required to bring out the beautiful detail
of this area of the sky.
Located about 8° north of the spout of Sagittarius’ teapot, M21 is found less
than a degree northeast of M20 (The Trifid Nebula) and nearby M8 (the
Lagoon Nebula) plus open clusters M23 and M28.
3”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
138 Chapter 4
NGC 6530 in Sagittarius
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 04m
Dec: -24°20¢
Distance: 5,000 LY
Size: 35¢
NGC 6530 is a beautiful cluster located and formed in the depths of the
Lagoon Nebula (M8). It is very young and full bright, hot stars. In smaller
telescopes it is quite beautiful, as it is nestled inside the associated nebu-
losity of M8. With a 4–5” telescope, expect a nice view at about 60×. You can
even bring the power up to 120× or so and look inside the cluster to see
some of the interesting features deep within.
NGC 6530 was discovered by Hodierna in 1654. It is always been somewhat

overlooked, as it is buried within one of the most spectacular nebulae in
the heavens. However, it is important to note that it is really a part of
M8, and as more stars form within M8 the radiation from the hot new
stars will eventually disperse the nebula, leaving only the beautiful rich
cluster behind.
The stars within NGC 6530 are only loosely attached gravitationally. This
means that the cluster will disperse relatively quickly and will probably be
almost nonexistent in less than a billion years. In the meantime, though,
we can certainly enjoy it while it’s here.
This cluster is perhaps 20 million years old and is still in the process of
creating stars. The youngest stars seem to be around 100,000 years old.
NGC 6530 is perhaps 30 light years across and growing as more stars are
added. Of the 100+ members, at least a dozen have been identified as
being variable. Many are of the Herbig Be or Ae type. These are stars that
are still accumulating. There are unique emission lines present, as the stars
shine through the disks of dust and gas beginning to form around them.
Photographically, NGC 6530 is extraordinary. The beautiful nebulosity sur-

rounding it is stunning even with shorter exposures. There are numerous
different aspects that can be captured, depending upon the framing and
exposure. This is truly one of the more photogenic clusters in the heavens.
NGC 6530 is located in the midst of M8, a naked eye diffuse nebula, 6°
north of g (gamma) Sagittarii.
3”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
140 Chapter 4
M24 in Sagittarius (Sagittarius Star Cloud)
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 17m
Dec: -18°30¢
Distance: 16,000 LY
Size: 180¢ (1°30¢)
M24 is a magnificent cluster of stars containing thousands of stars. It is

actually a piece of the spiral arm deeper in the galaxy. The cluster NGC
6603 is part of M24 and is particularly rich cluster located in the northern
portion. This is a fine object in wide field telescopes or binoculars. With
larger ‘scopes and higher magnifications you can explore the myriad
collections of stars among the structure within the star cloud.
M24 is huge cloud of stars about 600 light years across located about
16,000 light years distant in the direction of the center of the galaxy. There
are several dark nebulae located in this object. This object is actually
believed to be a “hole” in the obscuring matter between us and the center
142 Chapter 4
of the galaxy. Without this obscuring matter the center of the galaxy would
be perhaps 10 times brighter.
Photographically, this region is spectacular. Wonderful pictures can be

made using piggyback astrophotography. Very nice shots are possible with
lenses from 100 to 300 mm.
M24 is located just south of M17 and M18 in the northern portion of
Sagittarius. There are many fine objects nearby, including clusters M23,
M21, and M25 plus nebulae M8, M20, and M17.
3”+ wide field refractor
wide field reflector
144 Chapter 4
M16 in Serpens (Eagle Nebula Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 19m
Dec: -13°46¢
Distance: 7,000 LY
Size: 25¢
M16 is a vast swath of bright stars immersed in one of the most striking
nebulae in the heavens. You need a telescope of at least 8” to be able to
detect the soft glow of the nebulosity. In larger ‘scopes you can see the
dark globules and filaments silhouetted on the nebulosity. These dark
areas are contracting gas and dust, soon to become stars. M16 is truly a
cluster in progress. The nebula has a relatively low surface brightness,
so while it is faintly visible in a 6” or 8” telescope, apertures larger than 16”
are really wonderful for the viewing of its subtle beauty. Observers with
larger ‘scopes can view the grand pillars of dark nebulosity piercing the
soft glow of the bright surrounding nebula. Dozens of brilliant blue stars
radiate throughout to make a majestic impression on even the most
seasoned observer.
There are at least 80 stars in M16, with many more coming. The cluster and
associated nebula is about 50 light years across and is located about 7,000
light years distant in the next spiral arm in from ours. This is a relatively
young cluster at only 5 million years old. There are a large number of
young, hot O (hot blue) stars in M16. These hot stars are exciting the gas in
the nebula, causing it to glow. The brightest star has an absolute magni-
tude of -6.3, which makes it over 20,000 times more luminous than our Sun,
a bright star indeed.
The brightest stars in the cluster shine with the light of tens of thousands of
Suns. Such bright stars are very young and massive. These super-massive
stars burn their hydrogen so fast, they will go novae and fade away to the
obscurity of white dwarves in a relatively short time.
Early astronomers, including Charles Messier, observed the cluster to be

immersed in the nebula. It is believed that de Cheseaux was first to discover
it but it was rediscovered by Charles Messier later, who also discovered the
nebula. For some reason William Herschel only recorded the star cluster.
Since the NGC was based on his original work, it only records NGC 6611 as a
star cluster and not as a nebula.
Photographic study of this cluster is possible with a wide variety of equip-

ment and resulting detail. With shorter exposures and smaller telescopes,
the cluster shines nicely in a soft glow of the nebula. With larger ‘scopes and
longer exposures, the details of nebula begin to come out along with many
more stars. The size of the cluster and nebula are nearly ½ a degree, making
the best photographs of the overall structure ones of a degree or so.
M16 is located in Serpens about 10° north of the top of Sagittarius’ teapot.
It is a few degrees north of the string of fine objects M24, M18, and M17 in
Sagittarius. It is also located about 10° southeast of M11, a beautiful cluster
in Scutum.
3”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
146 Chapter 4
M18 in Sagittarius
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 20m
Dec: -17°08¢
Distance: 5,000 LY
Size: 10¢
M18 is a small cluster of stars located on the northern border of Sagittarius.

It is one of the less spectacular clusters in the heavens. However it does
have a certain appeal. M18 is quite nice in a 3” telescope, with more of its
approximately 12 stars visible in larger ‘scopes. It has a faint spiral shape.
M18 is a fairly young cluster of about 15 stars visible in most amateur tel-
escopes. It probably contains over 50 stars in total. It is located roughly
5,000 light years toward the center of the galaxy. M18 contains bright yel-
low and bright blue stars. The Observatory of Geneva’s color/magnitude
diagram shows about 18 major members, most of which are bright
blue stars. This indicates that this is a young cluster, about 30 million years
old. There are also many yellow stars. There is still some of the cluster’s
148 Chapter 4
formation nebula present; however this is only visible in photographs

made with large telescopes.
Upon discovering M18 in 1764 Messier described it as, “A cluster of small

stars, a little below above nebula, No. 17, surrounded by slight nebulosity,
this cluster is less obvious than the preceding, No. 16: with an ordinary
telescope of 3.5-foot [FL], this cluster appears like a nebula; but with a
good telescope one sees nothing but stars’ (diam. 5¢).”
There have been several photographic and spectroscopic studies done on

M18. The results have varied somewhat, mainly measuring the brightest 20
stars or so.
M18 is located in the northern tip of Sagittarius near the border of Serpens
and Scutum. It is just south of M17 (the Swan or Horseshoe Nebula), a prob-
able star cluster birth place. M18 is also just north of M24, a huge star cloud
comprised of many groups of stars. Other interesting objects nearby are the
beautiful cluster M16 in Serpens and M25, a nice open cluster in Sagittarius.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
150 Chapter 4
M28 in Sagittarius

RA: 18h 24m
Dec: -24°52¢
Distance: 18,000 LY
Size: 12¢
M28 is a small but particularly rich globular cluster. Ideal for telescopes of
at least 5”, it is still certainly visible in smaller apertures. The cluster is some-
what overshadowed by nearby M8 and M22.
Messier discovered the cluster in July of 1764 and described it as “… seen

with difficulty.” John Herschel described it as a “fine object,” showing the
obvious differences between the capabilities of their instruments.
M28 is interesting in that it was one of the globular clusters studied closely
by famous astronomer Helen Sawyer Hogg of the David Dunlop Observatory
in Ontario, Canada. She located many variable stars within this cluster,
most of which were the RR Lyrae-type. RR Lyrae variables are stars that are
commonly found in globular clusters. They pulsate very regularly and are
used to accurately determine distances within the galaxy. Some of the vari-
ables in M28, interestingly enough, are irregular red variables, probably
large dying stars going through the final contortions before they explode
and fade into oblivion as white dwarfs.
M28 is located near the galactic core at about 18,000 light years distant
and is more than 60 light years in diameter. It is moving very slowly relative
to us, only about 1 km/s in recession.
Photographically, M28 is similar to many of the smaller globular clusters. It

is easy to record on the photographic plate; however, for rich detailed
views resolving a good number of stars, very painstaking photographic
techniques are required.
Located just above the bright star l (lambda) Sagittarii, it is very easy to
find as l (lambda) Sagittarii is the top star in the top of the Sagittarius
teapot.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
5”+ catadioptric
152 Chapter 4
NGC 6633 in Ophiuchus
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 28m
Dec: +06°34¢
Distance: 1,000 LY
Size: 28¢
A large, bright cluster, NGC 6633 is a perfect target for telescopes of all
sizes. Even with its few dozen stars, it shows amazing and interesting
details. You can almost see swirls and lines of stars with patterns that
change every time you look at it. You can view this particular cluster for
hours and still find some new detail you never noticed before.
This large cluster is as large as the full Moon, and although it has relatively
few stars, it is an interesting target. NGC 6633 is only around 600 million
years old and continues to add large giant stars as its population ages. It is
particularly nice in binoculars.
154 Chapter 4
At only 1,000 light years distance, it is quite close. The distance and size
indicates a diameter of around 8 light years.
There have been some recent studies done on the white dwarfs inside the
cluster. So far seven have been discovered. One of these white dwarfs has
been discovered to have the highest abundance of lithium of any such star
yet found. The ramifications of this finding are still being discussed.
Wide field images of NGC 6633 can include the bright star Rasalhague for
an interesting panorama, or close ups, as in the pictures in this book show-
ing the loose knots of stars making it up.
NGC 6633 is quite easy to find, being just 14° east–southeast of Rasalhague.
It is also near the interesting open cluster IC 4756.
3”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
4”+ catadioptric
156 Chapter 4
M25 in Sagittarius
Type: Open cluster

Designation(s): Messier 25, IC 4725
RA: 18h 32m
Dec: -19°16¢
Distance: 2,000 LY
Size: 40¢
M25 is a good star cluster for binoculars or low power telescopes, as it is

quite bright and more than ½ a degree in size. With a 3–4” telescope you
can see perhaps 30 or so of the brighter members. With a larger aperture
of 8–10” and 50× or 60× you can see the whole cluster and perhaps its
80 or so members. This is one of the nicer clusters in the heavens and helps to
make Sagittarius one of the most cluster-rich regions of the sky.
M25 is believed to be at least 80 or 90 million years old, its distance of 2,000

light years and 40¢ diameter giving it an actual size of nearly 25 light years.
The central density is nearly 20 stars per cubic parsec, making it a rich,
stable cluster. The lack of an NGC number is due to the fact that Herschel
never included it in his General Catalogue, and subsequently it was omitted
from the NGC. Messier did however include it in his catalog, and it is
believed to have been discovered as a cluster by de Cheseaux in 1745. It

was added to the index catalog supplement to the NGC finally in the early
twentieth century.
This cluster has many bright G-type stars and the noted Cepheid variable
star U Sagittarii. Cepheid variables are not common in open star clusters.
They are super-massive giant stars that pulsate very regularly to create
changes in brightness and spectral class. U SGR changes in brightness from
magnitude 6.2 to 7.1 over a period of 6.75 days. Cepheid variables are
named for Delta Cephei, which was the first such star to be discovered.
These stars help astronomers determine distances to remote galaxies, as
they are extremely bright and there is a relationship between their lumi-
nosity and their period. Cepheid variables are usually spectral type A and F
(white) stars. There is also a special type of short period Cepheid called
cluster variables that are quite common in globular clusters. For more
information on U Sagittarii and other variable stars, consult the AAVSO.
M25 is an interesting object photographically. Its large size makes it suita-

ble for piggyback and prime focus photography. A 1,000–2,000 mm FL is
ideal for this beautiful object.
M25 is located in Sagittarius about 5° north of the top of the teapot. It is

located near clusters M18, M24, M21, M22, and M28, plus nebulae M8,
M20, and M17. In fact with a 100 mm lens and a piggyback exposure, all
these objects can be included in one shot.
25×+ binoculars
2.4”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
158 Chapter 4
M22 in Sagittarius

RA: 18h 36m
Dec: -23°54¢
Distance: 10,000 LY
Size: 33¢
M22 is one of the finest of all the globular clusters in the sky. It is the third
brightest and definitely the brightest visible in the northern latitudes. It is
certainly one of the most studied of all globular clusters.
Even though it is located nearly 10,000 light years away it is one of the bright-
est deep sky objects because it contains so many stars. More than 75,000 stars
have been individually counted in M22, and certainly many more than that
are uncountable. With a diameter of a bit over 50 light years, the core of this
compact cluster has many stars packed per cubic light year.
There is a tiny planetary nebula at magnitude 14 inside M22, which has

been determined to be a part of the cluster. It is a challenging object for an
18” telescope and can even be elusive in larger ‘scopes, depending upon
160 Chapter 4
sky objects. The use of nebula filters and patience is helpful when attempting
to view this object.
There have been some recent studies of events occurring in this cluster.
These events have been characterized as possible large free floating planets,
cosmic ray events, or perhaps nova bursts or flares. Continued study may
reveal very interesting results about these wonderful objects.
As with many of the globular clusters there are a number of the RR Lyrae
(or cluster)-type variable stars located within it.
There is no doubt that M22 is an extremely attractive target for imaging.

The core is bluish with a dusting of red giants.
25×+ binoculars
2.4”+ refractor
4”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
162 Chapter 4
M26 in Scutum
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 45m
Dec: -9°23¢
Distance: 5,000 LY
Size: 15¢
M26 is a tight cluster, which is rather dim and needs a larger telescope to
appreciate its beauty. It is one of the nicer clusters in structure and den-
sity. With a refractor of 5” or more or an 8” or bigger reflector this cluster
really shows its true beauty. Refractor views of this cluster are especially
noteworthy, as the added contrast really brings out the central groupings
really well.
Most of the stars in this 90-million-year-old cluster seem to be spectral

class B (blue) stars. With a 5” or 6” refractor or an 8” reflector, about 25 or 30
of the cluster’s almost 100 members become visible. In larger ‘scopes many
more of the fainter stars resolve. M26 is located about a light year’s distant
and is about 15 light years in diameter.
M26 is located less than a degree away from the famous variable star d
(delta) Scuti. Stars of this type are related to the Cepheid variables (see
notes on U Sagittarii in M25). This star is pulsating at the extremely consistent
rate of once every 279 min. The actually expands and contracts in a regular
rhythm, varying in brightness by approximately 1/6 magnitude. This star is
of spectral type F (white), is about 30 times the luminosity of the Sun. It is
located about 250 light years from us. More than 250 of this class (called
Delta Scuti variables) have been identified. For more information on Delta
Scuti and other variable stars, consult the AAVSO.
M26 is a fine photographic target. Long exposures at longer effective focal

lengths (3,000 mm+) are best. The catadioptric telescopes of 8”+ provide
very nice results, as do the longer focal length refractors and reflectors.
M26 is located about 4° south of bright open cluster M11 and about 1° west
of d (delta) Scuti.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
8”+ catadioptric
M11 in Scutum (Wild Duck Cluster)
Type: Open cluster

RA: 18h 51m
Dec: -06°16¢
Distance: 5,500 LY
Size: 20¢
M11 is a particularly rich star cluster located in the Scutum star cloud. It is
a beautiful patch of stars at 150× in a 4–8” telescope. In larger ‘scopes more
and more stars resolve deeper in the center of the cluster.
M11 is estimated to lie about 5,500 light years distant and somewhat
nearer to the galactic center than us. It contains close to 3,000 stars, with a
density in the central third of nearly 100 stars per cubic parsec. M11 has a
diameter of about 20 light years. Many of the stars are young giant stars
around 100 times as luminous as the Sun. If the Sun were in M11 we would
see hundreds of first magnitude stars with quite a few many times brighter
than Sirius. The best estimates for M11’s age put it at around 500 million
166 Chapter 4
years. There are many very luminous stars of the B and A (blue) class, with
several dozen red and yellow giants. The contrast is nicely visible in larger
reflecting telescopes, while the contrast of a 6”+ refractor really brings out
the central stars beautifully.
The cluster is located near R Scuti, an RV Tauri-type variable star that

ranges from a magnitude of 4.5 to around 9 in a complex irregular period
of around 146 days. The seventh magnitude double star S 2391 is located
between R Scuti and M11.
Nice photographs of this cluster can be done with 6”+ telescope which,
depending on exposure, will reveal various personalities. With moderate-
exposure CCD imaging, this cluster reveals some incredible details.
M11 is can be found in Scutum about 20° north of Sagittarius and about 2°
southeast of b Scuti. About 5° south is the smaller open cluster M26.
3”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
3”+ catadioptric
168 Chapter 4
M56 in Lyra

RA: 19h 16m
Dec: +30°11¢
Distance: 30,000 LY
Size: 7¢
M56 is a somewhat elliptical-shaped globular cluster. Even though it is

quite distant, 30,000 light years, it is fairly bright due to its tightly concen-
trated core. The central portion of this cluster is more than 85 light years
across and probably contains more than 100,000 stars.
M56 contains relatively few variables. These few variables are accessible for
study with relatively small telescopes of perhaps 8–12” or more.
M56 was actually discovered by Messier himself in 1779. While he was

unable to resolve it in his primitive telescope, he nonetheless determined
it was a non-cometary object from its lack of motion.
Imaging M56 is a lot of fun, as it contains a hazy bluish center sprinkled

with yellow and orange stars.
4”+ refractor
6”+ reflector
6”+ catadioptric
170 Chapter 4
Index
A Cepheid, 13, 82, 94, 106, 115, 157, 163

Chandrasekhar, S., 14
Algenib, 33, 34 Cluster, 3, 9–13, 17, 21–170
Almach, 25 Collinder, 75–77
Andromeda, 24–26 Collinder 285, 75–77
Angular momentum, 14 Coma Berenices, 81–83
Antares, 91, 94, 97, 115 Cor Caroli, 85
Aperture, 15, 17, 51, 84, 96, 100, 105, 108, Corvus, 79
120, 156
D
Arcturus, 82, 85
De Cheseaux, P.L., 93, 145, 157
Asymmetry, 112
Declination, 105
Atlas Coeli, 11
De Lacaille, N.L., 11
Auriga, 45–53
Density, 10, 14, 31, 90, 100, 132, 136,
Aztec, 37
156, 165
B Doppler, 7
Beehive, 27, 67, 69–71 Double Cluster, 27–29
Be-Shell Stars, 37 Dreyer, J.L.E., 3, 112
Big Dipper, 75, 76
E
Black hole, 9, 14, 15, 112
Eagle Nebula, 144–146
BU Puppis, 64
Eichner, Laurits Dan, IX
Butterfly Cluster, 126–128
Einstein, Albert, IX
C Electron7, 13, 14
Cancer, 67, 69–74 Elmer, Charles W., IX
Canes Venatici, 84–86
F
Canis Major, 42, 60–62
Fitz, Harry, IX
Cassiopeia, 21–23, 27
CCD, 15, 25, 28, 34, 37, 67, 71, 73, 79, 88, G
91, 94, 97, 100, 109, 115, 118, 124, Galaxy, 3, 5, 9–12, 25, 42, 43, 55, 67, 79,
133, 166 85, 88, 100, 103, 118, 136, 141, 142,
Celabra, 124 147, 151
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-7040-4, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
172 Index
Gamma ray, 15, 112 Luminosity, 10, 13, 28, 46, 48, 60, 67, 70,
Gemini, 54–56 81, 82, 85, 94, 112, 124, 163
Giza, 45 Lyra, 168–170
Globular cluster, 3, 5, 9, 12, 13, 15,
M
42–44, 73, 78–104, 108–125,
M4, 91, 93–95
130, 133, 150–152, 157, 159–161,
M5, 87–89
168–170
M7, 127, 129–131
Graffias, 91
M10, 103, 108–110, 121
Gravitational, 3, 5, 12, 25,
M11, 145, 163, 165–167
27, 139
M13, 78, 85, 99–101, 103, 109,
H 117, 118
Halley, E., 11, 99 M18, 133, 136, 142, 145,
H-alpha, 58 147–149, 157
Harvard, 6, 85, 88 M19, 114–116
Helium, 5, 6, 9, 13 M21, 133, 135–137, 142, 157
Herbig, 139 M22, 136, 150, 157, 159–161
Herbig-Haro, 58 M23, 132–134, 136, 142
Hercules, 99–101, 103, 117–119 M24, 133, 141–143,
Herschel, J., 99, 103, 124, 150, 156 145, 148, 157
Herschel, W., 11, 12, 24, 66, 72, 145 M25, 142, 148, 156–158, 163
Hertzsprung, E., 7 M28, 136, 150–152, 157
Hess, Fred, IX M34, 30–32
Hevelius, J., 11, 87 M35, 54–56
Hipparcos, 27 M37, 51–53
Hodierna, G.B., 24, 33, 106, 138 M38, 45–48
Hogg, H.S., 150 M44, 27, 67, 69–71, 73
Horseshoe Nebula, 133, 136, 148 M48, 66–68
Hubble, 91 M53, 81–83
Hyacinthus, 39 M56, 168–170
Hyades, 3, 10, 39–41, 70 M62, 111–113, 115
Hydra, 66–68, 78–80 M67, 70, 72–74
M68, 78–80
K
M79, 42–44
Kimah, 37
M80, 90–92, 94
Kirch, G., 87
M92, 117–119
Koehler, J.G., 72
M103, 21–23
L M107, 96–98
Lacaille, A., 11, 12 Magellanic, 12
Lagoon Nebula, 133, 135, 136, 138 Main sequence, 8, 12, 25, 51, 54, 69, 72,
Lepus, 42–44 79, 126, 127, 132
Lippincott, Sara Lee, IX Mechain, P., 42, 96
Lithium, 154 Melotte, 33–35, 39–41
Index 173
Melotte 20, 33–35 Population II, 12

Melotte 25, 39–41 Praesepe, 67, 69–71
Messier, C., 3, 10–12, 42, 63, 66, Ptolemy, 69, 129–131
72, 85, 88, 91, 93, 94, 99, 103, 106, Pulsar, 13–15, 94, 112
112, 115, 121, 124, 145, 148, 150, Puppis, 63–65
156, 168
Metals, 9, 12, 63, 73 Q
Mira, 79, 109 Quasars, 106
Mizar, 76 R
Monoceros, 57–59 Rasalhague, 154
N Ras al Muthallath, 25
Nebulae, 9–12, 57, 96, 120, 121, 138, 141, Red giant, 9, 13, 22, 51, 52,
142, 144, 157 60, 61, 67
Neutron star, 9, 14, 112 Right Ascension, 17
NGC 752, 24–26 ROSAT, 112
NGC 2158, 55 RR Lyrae, 12, 13, 17, 79, 81, 85,
NGC 2244, 57–59 88, 94, 97, 100, 112, 115, 118, 124,
NGC 6231, 105–107 151, 160
NGC 6530, 138–140 Ruchbah, 22
NGC 6633, 153–155 Russell, H.N., 7
Nova, 27, 34, 88, 91, 106,
S
124, 160
Sabik, 121
Novae, 9, 91, 145
Sagittarius, 127, 132–143, 145,
O 147–152, 156–161, 166
OB association, 33, 34 Scorpius, 90–95, 105–107,
Open cluster, 21, 24, 30, 33, 36, 126–131
39, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, Scutum, 145, 148, 162–167
66, 69, 72, 73, 75, 105, 126, 129, Segin, 22
130, 132, 133, 135, 136, 138, 141, Serpens, 87–89, 144–146, 148
144, 147, 148, 153, 154, 156, 162, Shapley, H., 11
163, 165, 166 Solar, 6, 28, 63, 70, 75
Ophiuchus, 96–98, 102–104, 108–116, Spectra, 6, 7, 9
120–125, 153–155 Spiral,5, 9, 10, 34, 103, 124,
141, 145, 147
P Sumerians, 45
Palomar, 88
Paris Observatory, 42 T
Perseus, 27–35 Taurus, 36–40, 70
Planetary nebulae, 9, 79, 159 Tianquiztli, 37
Pleiades, 3, 10, 27, 36, 37, 48 Trifid Nebula, 133, 135, 136
Pleione, 37 Trumpler, R.J., 10
Population I, 9 T Tauri, 40
174 Index
U W
URSA Major, 75–77 White dwarf, 9, 14, 40, 55, 69, 145,
151, 154,
V
Wild Duck Cluster, 165–167
Van De Kamp, Peter, IX
Wisniewski, J., 61, 67, 71, 100
Variable, 12, 37, 40, 64, 70, 79, 85, 87, 88,
94, 97, 108, 109, 115, 118, 124, 127, X
133, 139, 151, 157, 160, 163, 166 X-ray, 15, 37, 112, 127

Star Clusters A Pocket Field Guide

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Astronomer’s Pocket Field Guide

For other titles published in this series, go to

with astronomical images

ISBN 978-1-4419-7039-8 e-ISBN 978-1-4419-7040-4

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

Printed on acid-free paper

Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)

Charles Cardona has been a teaching assistant in Astronomy at SUNY Suffolk

Charles A. Cardona III

I would like to especially thank Jan Wisniewski, an amateur astrophoto­grapher,

Part 2 Star Cluster

4. Descriptions, Images, and Charts............................................... 21

Studying star clusters is an important endeavor because it gives a look at

Understanding Stars and Star Clusters

Stars are huge nuclear furnaces, converting their supplies of hydrogen to

Although this seems an extremely high rate of consumption, if the Sun

This effect also is sometimes seen to vary, as if the star sometimes

Open Star Clusters

Open star clusters are classified using a methodology devised by Robert

Open clusters are categorized in many well-known catalogs. In the 1700s

Globular Star Clusters

Globular star clusters were certainly seen by ancient observers. However,

Among the first astronomers to record observations of globular star clusters

The stars inside globular star clusters perform a complicated dance

There are other possibilities, though. In the 1930s Indian-American astron-

Telescopes for Observing Star Clusters

Many clusters are nicely within reach of the amateur astrophotographer,

How to Use This Book

Descriptions, Images, and Charts

Type: Open cluster

M103 is a beautiful open cluster located in Cassiopeia. It is just beyond

power in a 3” or bigger telescope. In some ways it resembles a wedge of

Photographically M103 is a subject for eyepiece projection. Its smallish size

NGC 752 in Andromeda

Type: Open cluster

NGC 752 is a beautiful open cluster located just below g (Gamma)

Originally cataloged by William Herschel on September 21, 1786, NGC is

Photographically NGC-752 is an interesting challenge. It can be imaged

Just 5° south of g (Gamma) Andromedae (Almach), NGC-752 is quite easy to

NGC 869 and NGC 884 in Perseus (The Double Cluster)

Type: Open clusters

Type: Open cluster

This cluster is exceptional in smaller telescopes under clear skies, some-

Photographically, this is a favorite of imagers everywhere. Images can

Type: Open cluster

Melotte 20 is also known as the Alpha Persei Moving Cluster. It is located

Mel 20 is an interesting object first cataloged by the famous Italian

Photographically, Mel 20 needs a nice 5–10° field to really show its

Type: Open cluster

The Pleiades is quite striking in binoculars. It is easy to gaze for prolonged

Pleione, also known as BU TAU, is a variable star of irregular type. It has

The Pleiades is an easy object to photograph. From a 50 mm lens on a

The Hyades (or Melotte 25) in Taurus

Type: Open cluster

Although the bright portion of the cluster is 5° in diameter, members are

Type: Globular cluster

Discovered by Pierre Mechain, who was a friend of Charles Messier in 1780,

M79 is interesting because it is believed to be extragalactic in nature. It is

These types of objects provide a fixed laboratory in which to study stellar

I would like to especially thank Jan Wisniewski, an amateur astrophotographer,