1. NGC6939 – An Ancient Open Cluster in Cepheus
NGC6939 is one of the oldest open clusters in the Milky Way at around 1.2 billion years old. It can be found just over one binocular field north west of Alpha Cephei just beyond Eta Cephei. It is around 3,800 light years away.
2. The Fireworks Galaxy (Caldwell 12, NGC6946)
The Fireworks galaxy is a starburst galaxy – so called because it has a far higher rate of star formation than most other galaxies. It can be found in the same binocular field as NGC6939, just to the south. Although visually almost next door, it is over 5,000 times as far away as NGC6939 at around 22 million light years. Nine supernovae have been observed in it over the past century.
3. Herschel’s Garnet Star ( Mu Cephei)
Herschel’s Garnet star is one of the reddest carbon stars north of the equator. It lies just over a binocular field width south of Alpha Cephei. Herschel’s Garnet Star is a red supergiant. If it were at the centre of the solar system it’s outer atmosphere would extend past Jupiter!
4. The Great Pegasus Cluster (Messier 15)
M15 is one of the most densely packed globular clusters in the Milky Way. First find the Great Square of Pegasus. Now look for Epsilon Pegasi west of the square. Finally move one binocular field towards Cygnus to find M15. It has over 100,000 stars within it’s 175 light years diameter.
5. Messier 52 – An Open Cluster in Cassiopeia
Mammals were just beginning to dominate life on Earth at the time this star cluster was being formed. Extend a line from Alpha Cassiopeiae through Beta for the same distance as Alpha is from Beta. There you should find Messier 52. M52 is about 35 million years old and has around 190 stars in it.
6. Caroline’s Rose Cluster (NGC7789)
This cluster is called Caroline’s Rose Cluster because it was discovered by William Herschel’s sister, Caroline. It is not far from M52, lying about one binocular field south west of Beta Cassiopeiae. It is called the Rose Cluster because the loops of stars look like a pattern of rose petals from above when viewed through a telescope.
7. The Owl Cluster (Caldwell 13,NGC457)
The Owl Cluster is also sometimes called the E.T. Cluster because it looks like the alien’s eyes are glowing in the darkness. It is about half a binocular field to the south west of Delta Cassiopeiae. C13 is quite young at only 21 million years and lies over 7,900 light years away.
8. Messier 103 – A Distant Open Cluster in Cassiopeia
At around 9,000 light years from Earth, Messier 103 is one of the most distant open clusters known. It can be found a short distance to the east of Delta Cassiopeiae., still in the same binocular field as the Owl Cluster. There are about 40 members stars in this relatively young 16 million year old cluster.
9. The Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31)
Andromeda is the most impressive galaxy for binocular observers in the northern hemisphere, and is also visible to the naked eye on moonless nights. It can be found two binocular fields to the north west of Beta Andromedae. M31 is two and a half million light years away from Earth and twice the size of the Milky Way.
10. Caldwell 28 (NGC752) – An Ancient Open Cluster in Andromeda
At almost 2 billion years old, Caldwell 28 is one of the oldest known open clusters. It is just over one binocular field to the south of Gamma Andromedae. As open clusters get older they tend to spread out and the sparse appearance of C28 betrays it’s age when seen through binoculars.
11. A Carbon Star (TX Pisc)
TX Piscium is one of the reddest stars known. Look for the roughly circular asterism called the Circlet at the western end of Pisces. TX Piscium lies a half binocular width east of the Circlet. It is around 760 light years from Earth.
12. The Double Cluster (Caldwell 14)
Two open star clusters for the price of one! The Double Cluster can be found in a rich stretch of the Milky Way halfway between Cassiopeia and Perseus. Both clusters are about 7,500 light years from us and are relatively young at only 13 million years.
13. The Alpha Perseus Association
The Alpha Perseus Association is one of the brightest open clusters in the northern sky. Binoculars will give a striking view. It is a collection of young stars in the same part of the sky as Alpha Persei. Lying at a distance of around 600 light years it is 50 – 70 million years old.
14. Algol – The Demon Star
Eclipses of the Sun are rare but you can probably see a stellar eclipse from your back garden this week. The double star Algol (Beta Persei) lies about one and a half binocular fields south of Mirphak (Alpha Persei). Algol is sometimes called the Demon Star. It represents an eye of the severed head of the Gorgon Medusa who is winking at you!. Perseus is holding Medusa’s head in his left hand. Algol is an eclipsing binary star. Every 2.86 days the brighter star is eclipsed by it’s dimmer companion for 10 hours. You can find out Algol’s eclipse times at:
www.lackawannaastronomicalsociety.org/varstar.htm
15. The Spiral Cluster (Messier 34)
The Romans were leaving Britain at about the same time as the light from this star cluster began it’s journey to Earth. M34 lies about one and a half binocular widths to the north west of Algol (Beta Persei). It contains roughly 400 member stars.
16. The Hyades
The Hyades is one of the nearest star clusters to Earth at only 150 light years away. It is the area delineated by the “V” of the face of The Bull in Taurus which includes the very bright orange foreground star Aldebaran (The Bull’s Eye). The Hyades is estimated to be around 625 million years old and contains hundreds of individual stars.
17. The Pleiades
One of the most spectacular night sky views through binoculars. It can be found about three binocular fields to the north west of The Hyades. It was formed within the last 100 million years, contains over 1,000 members stars and is 444 light years away from Earth.
18. NGC1647 – An Open Cluster in Taurus
Lying right between the Horns of the Bull (Taurus), NGC1647 is about one binocular field from Aldebaran. 1,800 light years away, it is over 10 times as distant as The Hyades and has around 90 member stars.
19. The Great Orion Nebula (Messier 42)
At 1,300 light years, the Orion Nebula is the closest region of significant star formation to Earth. Orion’s Sword hangs down from his belt which is represented by the line of three bright stars in the centre of the constellation. On close examination the centre star of the sword is part of a misty glow – the Great Nebula. It is estimated to be 24 light years across and weigh 2,000 times as much as the Sun.
20. The Starfish Cluster (Messier 38)
Messier 38 is called the Starfish Cluster because of it’s conspicuous “X” shape as seen through a telescope. It can be found halfway along a line drawn from Theta to Iota Aurigae. It is about 4,200 light years away and around 220 million years old.
21. The Pinwheel Cluster (Messier 36)
Messier 36 is the youngest of the three Auriga clusters at 25 million years. It can be found just to the east of M38 within the same binocular field. There are over 60 stars in this cluster which lies about 4,300 light years away from Earth.
22. Messier 37 – A Bright Open Cluster in Auriga
Messier 37 is the brightest of the three Auriga clusters and is one binocular field to the east of M36. It contains over 500 stars and is between350 and 550 million years old.
23. Kemble’s Cascade
Kemble’s Cascade is an implausibly long, straight line asterism of a dozen stars in the constellation of Camelopardalis. It can be found two binocular field widths to the south west of Alpha Camelopardalis.
24. Messier 35 – An Open Cluster in Gemini
This cluster covers about the same area of sky as the full moon. It can be found about half a binocular field north west of Eta Geminorum. It contains several hundred stars, was formed around 200 million years ago and is 2,800 light years away from Earth.