Sky & Telescope - November 2023 - 43

λ
ι
δ
PERSEUS
κ
14
M34
θ
ANDROMEDA
Algol
β
12
ρ
Binocular Highlight by Mathew Wedel
A Stronghold in the Sky
I
bought my first telescope in the fall of 2007, and
autumn has been my favorite season for stargazing
ever since. Cassiopeia and Perseus, the mythical
Seated Queen and monster-slaying Hero, were the
first constellations I learned, and it's reassuring to
see them soaring up the eastern sky, welcoming me
back to my old cosmic stomping grounds.
Our target this month is the open cluster M34,
+20°
P EGASUS
M15
0°
Water
Jar
M2
A Q U A R I U S
on the western border of Perseus. With a visual
magnitude of 5.2, it's naked-eye visible as long as
there's not too much light pollution. As with most
celestial objects, the trick is knowing exactly where
to look. Find a slanted square, roughly 4° on a side,
formed by Beta (β; also known as Algol), Kappa (κ),
14, and 12 Persei. M34 lies on the western edge of
the box, a little north of the midpoint connecting 14
and 12 Persei. Of course, to the naked eye the cluster
appears as a fuzzy star, but binoculars will reveal a
wealth of detail. Look for a compact, boxy core surrounded
by a ragged outer loop of eight or so 8th- to
10th-magnitude stars.
I envision the cluster as a medieval city, ringed by
-20°
α
β
WHEN TO
-40°
3h
g So
USE THE MAP
Late Sept Midnight*
Early Oct
Late Oct
11 p.m.*
10 p.m.*
Early Nov 8 p.m.
Late Nov 7 p.m.
*Daylight-saving time
a strong defensive wall. The illusion of a dark moat
between the core and the loop is most pronounced
in 7× binos, whereas 15×70s may fill the gap with a
dusting of faint suns, at least under very good conditions.
M34 is on the small side as open clusters go,
just some 12 light-years in diameter. But it's also fairly
close, only about 1,700 light-years from our solar system,
which is why it appears quite large in binoculars.
While you're in the neighborhood, check in on
12 Persei. The 5th-magnitude primary has an 8thmagnitude
companion separated by a generous 270″,
making this a lovely, unequal binocular double.
¢ MATT WEDEL was overjoyed exploring Perseus
the first time, on his own, and sharing it is even better.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * NOVEMBER 2023 43
5
Moon
Nov 19
γ
°
b
M30
i
CAPRICORNUS
n
δ
α
ζ
β
o
c
u
EQUULEUS
Fac
l
17h
SAG I T TAR I US
ing
a
S
W
r
DELPHINUS
v
i
e
Altair
β
η
A Q U I L A
γ
α
w
θ
M11
S E R P E N S
( C A U D A )
S C U T U M
β
M92
M13
H E R C U L E S
β
CORONA
BOREALIS
14h
η
µ
ζ
ε
θ
α
β
ε
P I SC I S
20h
AUS T R I NUS
uth
ε
ζ
α
δ
+80°
+80°
δ
β
11
gnic
C E P H E U S
β
Mizar
& Alcor
η
B i g
D i p p e r
aF
µ
β
α
caF
γ
gni
B O Ö T E S
W
N
α
ε
γ
δ
χ
β
κ
F
a
M39
Albireo
70
α
cin
g
C Y G N U S
Deneb
M29
N o r t h e r n
C r o s s
IC4665
O P H I U C H U S
W
e
61
γ
s
t
L i t t l e
D i p p e r
U R S A
M I N O R
β
ζ
ε
γ
L A C E R T A
γ
D R A C O
η
α
L Y R A
M57
Vega
R
α
VULPECULA
M27
β
SAGITTA
GRUS
γ
α
µ
ε
β
ν
ζ
Thuban
π
δ
η
ε
ζ
ε
δ
γ
β
α
γ
Saturn
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Sky & Telescope - November 2023

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