M52
NGC 7654
Properties
Position & Identifiers
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M52 · 9.9′ diameter · N up, E left
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About M52
Description
M52 is a rich, bright open cluster in Cassiopeia, about 5,000 light-years from Earth. It contains roughly 190 stars spread across about 19 light-years, with an age of about 35 million years. The cluster has a fan or kidney shape, with a prominent orange star at its western edge.
Observing Tips
Located at the end of an imaginary line from Alpha through Beta Cassiopeiae, extended by about the same distance. In binoculars it appears as a bright, nebulous patch. A telescope at 60-100x reveals a rich, compressed cluster with a fan-shaped outline. The bright orange-yellow star at the southwest edge is a foreground star, not a cluster member. The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) lies just 35 arcminutes to the southwest. Best observed from September through January.
History
Discovered by Charles Messier on September 7, 1774. It was one of the later additions to his original catalog. Caroline Herschel independently noted it in 1783.
Fun Facts
M52 is one of the most underrated Messier clusters. Its richness and compact shape rival many better-known objects. The nearby Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635), a shell of gas blown by a hot massive star, makes for an attractive wide-field companion — though the nebula requires a large telescope and narrowband filter to see visually.