M34 - Spiral Cluster
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Messier M34 is an open cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It is sometimes referred to as the Spiral Cluster, especially in English-language sources. Discovered before 1654 by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna, it was later included in Messier’s catalog. The cluster lies approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth and contains about 100 bright stars. With an apparent visual magnitude of 5.5, it is easily visible to the naked eye under favorable conditions.
M34 is a typical open cluster, characterized by a relatively sparse arrangement of stars. Its age is estimated to be around 180-200 million years, indicating that most of its massive stars have already evolved off the main sequence. The cluster is dominated by spectral type A and F stars, although a few cooler, orange giants can also be found within its population.
An interesting aspect of M34 is its proper motion, which indicates that the cluster is gradually dispersing into space. Photometric and spectroscopic studies have also revealed stars demonstrating high magnetic activity, making M34 a compelling target for research into the evolution of young stars. Additionally, infrared observations have detected traces of interstellar dust surrounding some of the stars, indicating the presence of protoplanetary disks.
Observations
June 25, 2024, around 12:30 AM – Jaworzno (Poland), garden
high level of light pollution
Despite the high level of light pollution, good atmospheric transparency made it easy to spot the cluster's stars with binoculars. I also captured a photograph, which is shown below.
M34 contains several interesting binary and multiple star systems, including spectroscopic binaries that provide valuable insights into stellar evolution. The cluster also hosts characteristic variable stars, which offer crucial information about the processes occurring within young open clusters.
Photo 1 Parameters:
- Total exposure time: 10 minutes (stack of 20 RAW frames at 30s each, using an appropriate number of dark, bias, and flat frames)
- ISO: 800
- Newton telescope (150/750), prime focus exposure
- A filter was used to reduce the effects of artificial light pollution and atmospheric glow
- Mount: equatorial mount with tracking, aligned using the drift method and controlled by a custom-built system.
Further readings:
- Jones B. F., Prosser C. F., Membership of Stars in NGC 1039 (M34), Astronomical Journal, 1996, 111, str. 1193
- Schuler S. C., et al., Spectroscopic Abundances of Solar-Type Dwarfs in the Open Cluster M34 (NGC 1039), Astronomical Journal, 2003, 125(4), str. 2085–2097
- Rubin K. H. R., Williams K. A., Bolte M., Koester D., The White Dwarf Population in NGC 1039 (M34) and the White Dwarf Initial-Final Mass Relation, Astronomical Journal, 2008, 135(6), str. 2163–2176
Marek Ples