Open Cluster M35
A bright and rich open cluster in Gemini, a fine sight in binoculars. The fainter, more distant cluster NGC 2158 is often visible nearby in telescopes.
Open cluster in Gemini. Magnitude 5.1.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 72° above the northern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 69° above the northern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 21 Dec, in the middle of its season. The page works out tonight's rise, highest point and set for both towns in Guyana time (UTC-4), and where the Moon is.
What you'll see
- Your eyes: Visible to the eye only from a dark site, as a hazy knot of stars; lost in city skies.
- 10x50 binoculars: Resolves into dozens of stars.
- A small telescope (80 to 100 mm): Dozens to hundreds of stars at low power.
- A camera: Spans about 40% of an APS-C frame at 1,000 mm (field 1.3° × 0.9°); needs a tracking mount.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 28′, 90% of the Moon's width (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 5.1. Fainter than Georgetown's faintest stars (4.3) but brighter than Lethem's (6.0).
- Distance: 2,800 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 2,800 years ago.
What it is made of
- Type
- Open Cluster
- Distance
- Approx. 2,800 Lightyears
- True size
- Approx. 24 Lightyears diameter
- Young Blue Stars (B-type): Hot, luminous stars
- Evolved Giants: Yellow and orange giants
More deep-sky objects: Open Cluster M37 · Open Cluster M36 · Open Cluster M38 · Christmas Tree Cluster & Cone Nebula (NGC 2264) · Hyades Cluster · Pleiades (M45)