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November 11: Venus comes to a halt
The constellation Perseus is famous for its bright Double Cluster, but these two open clusters aren’t the only groups of young stars in the Hero worth viewing. Today, let’s shift our gaze to the western portion of this constellation, near its border with Andromeda, to check out M34, a mid-5th-magnitude open cluster containing about 100 stars.
Sitting 5.2° west-northwest of 2nd-magnitude Algol (Beta [β] Persei), M34 spans about half a degree, roughly the size of the Full Moon. In physical space, astronomers believe the group spans about 14 light-years and sits 1,400 light-years away. It’s best seen under lower magnifications, such as in binoculars or small amateur scopes (4 inches or so). You’ll spot several dozen stars brighter than 12th magnitude, with its brightest suns spread throughout the cluster.
Sunrise: 6:42 A.M.
Sunset: 4:46 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:08 A.M.
Moonset: 6:57 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (14%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. local time from the same location.
Alison Klesman is senior editor of Astronomy magazine. She holds a Ph.D. in astronomy and has studied a variety of topics, from minor planets to supermassive black holes.
