M52 - Scorpion Cluster
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Messier 52 or the Scorpion Cluster, also cataloged as NGC 7654, is an open cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Discovered by Charles Messier on 7 September 1774 while he was tracking a comet, M 52 stands as a textbook example of a young, compact open cluster whose brightness and position against the Milky Way make it an appealing target for observation.
The cluster lies roughly 3,000 to 7,000 light years from Earth, and astronomers estimate its age at just over 35 million years, which is remarkably young on a cosmic timescale. It contains several hundred stars, including numerous B-type giants and supergiants, as well as many young main-sequence suns. Its integrated visual magnitude is about 6.9m, so under dark skies a good pair of binoculars will easily reveal it. Spanning about 13 arcminutes of sky, M52 corresponds to a physical diameter of roughly 11 to 26 light years, depending on its distance.
Near the M 52 cluster lies NGC 7635, also known as the Bubble Nebula.
Observations
26 May 2025, around 11:00 PM - Katowice, Poland
urban conditions, very high light pollution
A clear night, despite heavy skyglow, allowed for the following photographic capture.
Messier 52 is a young open cluster rich in massive stars. It offers not only visual beauty for observers but also valuable data for astrophysical research. Regularly returning to this object can improve observational skills and provide new insights, especially in studies of cluster evolution and internal dynamics.
Photo 1 Parameters:
- Total exposure time: 40 minutes (stack of 20 RAW frames at 120s each, using an appropriate number of dark, bias, and flat frames)
- Canon EOS 600D
- ISO: 1600
- Achromatic refractor Messier AR-152S (152/760), 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:
- Adam L., Imaging the Messier Objects Remotely from Your Laptop, The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series, Springer, 2018, p. 241
- Bonatto C., Bica E., Methods for improving open cluster fundamental parameters applied to M 52 and NGC 3960, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2006, 455(3), pp. 931-942
- Trumpler R. J., Preliminary results on the distances, dimensions and space distribution of open star clusters, Lick Observatory Bulletin, 1930, 420, pp. 154-188
Marek Ples