M34 (NGC 1039)
Also known as M34 · M 34 · NGC 1039
M34 (NGC 1039) is an open star cluster in the constellation Perseus, about 1,650 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Open star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Position (J2000) | 2h 42m 07s, +42° 44′ |
| Distance | 1,650 light-years (its light set off about 1,650 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.2 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 48.4′ × 48.4′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 479 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M34 (NGC 1039) is highest in the sky at midnight in October. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 67° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 83°. To see it you need the naked eye from a dark site.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Perseus
- Alpha Persei Cluster
- California Nebula
- Double Cluster
- Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76)
- Mirfak
- NGC 1277
- Perseus A (NGC 1275)
- Perseus Cluster
Everything in Perseus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits