cprroy73
member
Reged: 05/26/08
Posts: 22
Loc: Lake Charles, Louisiana
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I am just wondering which is your favorite open cluster.
Mine are:
#1- M11 It is my favorite with out a doubt. Just so many stars visible.
#2- M45 Very bright, beautiful with a wide field eyepiece
#3- NGC869 and NGC884 double cluster another wide field or higher powers on each seperately.
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Zhummel 10" dob
Televue pan 24, Nag 13
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jhors
Riddle me this
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 978
Loc: Tempe, AZ
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In addition to the ones you mentioned I also like:
NGC 457: I admit that sometimes the eyes creep me out just a little 
NGC 6520 and B86: wonderful contrast; a yin-yang pairing of light and dark
M46 and NGC 2438: another contrast, this time of differing stages of life. pretty cluster with PN superimposed.
NGC 7789: delicate and beautiful, dense stars of decreasing magnitude gradually disappear into fine granular haze.
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-Josh
Boyce Thompson Arboretum:
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cprroy73
member
Reged: 05/26/08
Posts: 22
Loc: Lake Charles, Louisiana
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I'll give those a try. Thanks for the input.
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Zhummel 10" dob
Televue pan 24, Nag 13
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GlennLeDrew
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 1296
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Melotte 20, the Alpha Persei cluster. Perfect for wide angle binoculars, given its ~4 degree extent. At a distance of 575 l-y, it's one of the nearer clusters. And being relatively young at ~50 Myr, it still has one brilliant yellow supergiant, alpha Per, which contrasts nicely with the numerous unevolved, fainter blue members.
Furthermore, this group is the core of the larger, more dispersed Perseus OB3 association, which in turn is the source of the very scattered Cas-Tau association, covering some 100 degrees of sky between Cassiopeia and Orion. And if that wasn't enough, these groups are near the center--and indeed are probably the 'core'--of the vast Gould Belt, a tilted, elliptical and highly flattened system comprising all OB associations within ~2,000 l-y of the Sun.
What's surprising is that a number of star atlases don't plot this very well-known group (Mel 20, that is)!
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PG Lewis
sage
Reged: 09/25/08
Posts: 204
Loc: ~31.5S NSW Australia
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I have limited experience, but here's a few that do stand out for me so far.
I do have very fond notes on M11 (Wild Duck) in both bins and a small Newt, but it has been several years since I've viewed it  .
I'll definitely give more thumbs up to the Alpha Persei cluster and the Double Cluster. Always a treat. Mel 111 in Coma Berenices and Ptolemy's Cluster (M7) are both wonderful in bins as well!
I don't think an open cluster list could be worth its weight without including M45.
I just recently hit the three Messier OCs in Auriga and found them all to be lovely in a small scope, M37 probably being my favorite of the three at a first glance.
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Cincinnati, Ohio (~39N, 84.5W)
Currently enjoying the southern milkyway from the mid-North coast NSW, Australia
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alanon
Nobody tells me anything
Reged: 06/29/07
Posts: 2631
Loc: Las Vegas
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Quote:
I am just wondering which is your favorite open cluster.
Mine are:
#1- M11 It is my favorite with out a doubt. Just so many stars visible
#2- M45 Very bright, beautiful with a wide field eyepiece
#3- NGC869 and NGC884 double cluster another wide field or higher powers on each seperately.
DITTO! Your top three pretty much matches mine. 
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Alanon the Wizard (a literary character, not the organization)
Dan
12.5" Obsession #1531
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helpwanted
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/04/07
Posts: 2656
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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i like NGC6910 cause i stumbled on it, and noticed it's "Y" shape... kind of neat "discovering" it myself!
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4347
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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#1: NGC 2362 surrounding Tau Canis Major.
#2: NGC 2158 adjacent to M35.
#3: M37 or M67; I waffle between these two.
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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coutleef
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/21/08
Posts: 1730
Loc: Montréal and Saint-Donat, Québ...
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For the time being:
- NGC869 and NGC884 double cluster
- NGC 7789
- M 42
but this winter it will be, M35, M36, M37, M38.
We are spoiled in fall for open cluster viewing with Cass being at an ideal position
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François
Scopes: Nexstar 8 SE with Ron's rail and Denk S1 Powerswitch. EPs list is on my Bio.
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Ptarmigan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/23/04
Posts: 2363
Loc: Arctic
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Tough one for me to decide since I have seen so many open clusters. Okay, here's a list.
Pleiades
Hyades
Beehive Cluter
Double Cluster
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Demelza
super member
Reged: 05/07/06
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Loc: The Netherlands
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#1 Definitely the Owl Cluster (NGC 457)
#2 The Double Cluster (NGC 869 & NGC 884)
#3 M11
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FirstSight
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 3898
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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M11 in summer
M37 in winter
- both improve up to a point with aperture (enough to break cluster into discrete spray of individual stars + show many more of the fainter memebers). Both are much better in my 12-inch reflector than my 90mm APO refractor.
OK, so this isn't a true cluster per se
- but my favorite cluster-y starfield is M24 in Sagittarius. It's a staggeringly, uncountably dense swarm of stars in a 31 Nagler in my 12" reflector.
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Jason B
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Posts: 2859
Loc: Mid-Michigan
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I like NGC 6939 in Cygnus. Not because it is spectacular or anything like that but it is within the same low power field as NGC 6946 (face on spiral galaxy). It is one of my favorite object pairs and make a point to study it every late summer/early fall.
NGC 457 is right up there too.
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Jason
My Photostream
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Achernar
Postmaster
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 5028
Loc: Mobile, Alabama, USA
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Mt favorite open cluster of all time would be M-11, but there are others I observe time and time again.
Taras
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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A single favorite is so hard! Many good suggestions here, I would add NGC 6231 (the Northern Jewel Box) to the list. Not as rich as M11 or even the Double Cluster, but it still has lots of "punch".
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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edwincjones
Postmaster
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 5669
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easy for me
#1- m45
#2-double cluster
edj
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n w arkansas
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 16352
Loc: Kuiper Belt
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In a smaller aperture instrument, the following :
1) M50 (very underrated in my opinion)
2) M7 (always a treat)
3) M45 (of course)
4) Alpha Persei Association (too sprawling for all but richfield scopes)
5) Orion's Belt Association (another sprawling delight)
6) Regions of Cygnus along the line between Deneb and Albireo. (lots of strings, doubles, and clusters)
7) M24 region (this area of Sagittarius and the adjoining Scutum region are amazing)
8) The Coathanger - one of the only asterisms that strongly resembles it's name.
9) Christmas Tree Cluster (I forget the NGC number at the moment)
10) Cluster associated with the Rosette Nebula (this one is best appreciated with larger apertures, I forget the catalog number at the moment)
All of the others mentioned in this thread are great, I just thought I would add some that are a little more obscure or taken for granted. 
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, Tektites, Fossils, Minerals, Crystals, & Trinitite.
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RobertPL
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Reged: 03/04/08
Posts: 35
Loc: Austin, TX
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Hard to argue with the Double Cluster and M45. I'd add M44, and M7, and for some reason I always had a soft spot for M41.
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cprroy73
member
Reged: 05/26/08
Posts: 22
Loc: Lake Charles, Louisiana
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M7 is a good one for sure. I have yet to see ngc 457 I am still learning the sky. I am not sure if it is up right now but I will check stellarium and try it out. There seems to be many great opens that I have not seen yet. I better get to work.
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Zhummel 10" dob
Televue pan 24, Nag 13
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 16352
Loc: Kuiper Belt
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I forgot about M44! 
That is one of my favorites, more so because it is prone to close calls with Saturn. 
M41 is nice also - it was the first DSO I found on my own when I first started out.
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, Tektites, Fossils, Minerals, Crystals, & Trinitite.
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
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Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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Since favorite as an adjective is defined as "liked or preferred above all others", I'll choose just one and that is NGC 3532, the very bright and incredibly rich open cluster in Carina.
If the question is limited to primarily northern hemisphere objects, my vote goes to NGC 7789.
My favorite binocular "cluster" is Melotte 20, the Alpha Persei Association.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Loren Toole
super member
Reged: 03/23/04
Posts: 123
Loc: New Mexico USA
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My favorites would be clusters with a mix of 5-10 bright stars and a haze of many unresolved stars, in a view that isolates the cluster (not embedded in a very rich field). It would also be nice to view a cluster like this with moderate size, say at least 10 arc minutes. A few that generally fit this description are M67, NGC1245 and NGC7789. All of these have a similarity to very coarse globular clusters but they tend to be irregularly shaped. NGC7789, as great as it is, is also in a very rich field which tends to detract from the cluster a bit.
The "wow" factor of course depends on what you personally want to be overwhelmed with, some nights I prefer the rich field view instead.
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HellsKitchen
sage
Reged: 09/05/08
Posts: 356
Loc: Melbourne Australia
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NGC 3532. I was gobsmacked when I first swept this one up in an 8" Newt a few years ago.
NGC 3766 is an unsung beauty in Centaurus as is NGC 6067 in Norma.
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sgottlieb
sage
Reged: 07/22/07
Posts: 343
Loc: SF Bay area
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I'll throw in NGC 3532, a gorgeous 3rd magnitude naked-eye cluster just 3 degrees ENE of Eta Carina nebula. Unfortunately, not well known to US observers, though visible from Hawaii. I made these notes from Costa Rica --
13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this amazing naked-eye cluster packs several hundred stars, filling the 20 Nagler field (74x and 65' field of view) with wall-to-wall stars in a 55'x35' region! The central region is condensed and quite rich with several dense knots consisting of pairs, triples, chains, etc. The brighter stars are extended ~E-W, although there is no well-defined edge to this huge cluster. There is a huge "U" shaped chain of stars around the periphery including a bright star on the SE end. A neat equal mag equilateral triangle of stars stood out within the maze of stars. The cluster is quite prominent naked-eye as a 45' cloud just 3° ENE of Eta Carina in the NE corner of the rich Carina starcloud. It is densely packed with dozens of resolved stars in the 9x50 finder. Mag 3.9 V382 Carinae is off the SE side.
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Steve Gottlieb
18" f/4.3 Starmaster
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Magellanico
super member
Reged: 07/09/05
Posts: 170
Loc: São Paulo - Brazil
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Hi,
#1 NGC4755 (Jewel Box)
#2 IC2602 (Southern Pleiades)
#3 NGC3532
#4 M7
Clear and dark skies for all,
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Hrundi
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/06/08
Posts: 1241
Loc: Estonia
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For some strange reason, M29.
I like its general shape and size at very low magnifications. It's not as impressive as most other messier clusters, but I'm a fan.
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ngc4565adam
member
Reged: 05/04/08
Posts: 26
Loc: Lat. +46°25', Hungary
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My favourites are:
NGC7789, Alessi 1, NGC457, NGC654, NGC663, Collinder 463, Stock 2, NGC869/884, NGC7209, NGC7510, M38&NGC1907, M37, NGC2281, M35&NGC2158, NGC1502, NGC2360, NGC2362, M48, NGC2264, M50, NGC2301, NGC2506, NGC2169, Melotte 20, M47, M46(&NGC2438), M93, NGC2539, Melotte 111, NGC6939, NGC6811, M29, NGC6633, IC4756, M16(&IC4703), M23, NGC6520(&B86), NGC6530(&M8), M25, M11, NGC6940
Watch for these with a 6" scope (a binocular for the Melotte clusters), it will be a very nice tour.
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Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3469
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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A great cluster that nobody's mentioned yet (I think) is M35. I love all the clusters M35, M36, M37, and M38 each in its own way, but I may like M35 best of that lot. The thing that makes it great is the huge variety of star magnitudes. M35's brightest stars are as bright as M36's, yet it's also almost as rich in faintish stars as M37. Quite a combo!
The Double Cluster is tops in that regard. Which is why M35 and the Double Cluster are unusual in looking great through almost every instrument, large and small. M36 is boring through a big scope, and even M11 is a bit drab in my 12.5-incher due to the fact that all of its stars (except that one bright impostor) are nearly identical in magnitude.
I'm still trying to answer this question in a way that doesn't unfairly exclude some deserving cluster. I've been trying to break it down into categories like this:
Best naked-eye clusters: Pleiades and Hyades
Best cluster in 3-7 degree field of view: Alpha Persei
Best cluster for 2-3 degree FOV
etc.
But naked-eye is as far as I can get without some deserving cluster popping up and saying "but what about me?"
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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leonard
sage
Reged: 10/19/07
Posts: 218
Loc: West Virginia
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Hi Tony ,
Thats a good way to look at the question of favorite open cluster . There are so many with varied physical appearances , one who loves open clusters would have a hard time picking 5 much less just 1 .
Like you I just love the winter Milky Way for its clusters . M 35 and its companion cluster is indead a fine sight to behold .
I would like to nominate a view for your 2-3 degree fov cluster . This view is not a single cluster but three in one view . Its M46-M47-NGC2423 all in a 3 deg. fov with a 80mm refractor . Not the most overwhelming view but I have always liked the three varied looking clusters in the same fov . 
Leonard
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GlenM
Vendor
Reged: 05/20/07
Posts: 1741
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Mine would be with my bino's and small scope.
NGC 457
Double cluster
M 45
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Glen
www.lyraoptic.co.uk
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roccosabal
member
Reged: 09/13/04
Posts: 84
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Quote:
I would add NGC 6231 (the Northern Jewel Box) to the list.
My smallest scope is a 60mm refractor, and not a very good one at that, and the largest is a 254mm reflector. Other than NGC 6231 I can't think of a cluster in my sky (30 north lat.) that looks beautiful no matter which telescope I use on it.
Rocco
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Agreed. Enough punch for the small apertures, not so sprawling as to be unavailable to the narrower field instruments. Easy to find. Good color spread too. I think the cluster would be more popular if it was at a higher declination.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
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NGC 2362 A diamond with some sprinkled sugar.
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10511
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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Quote:
NGC 2362 A diamond with some sprinkled sugar.
That's another good one.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Unknownastron
sage
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 214
Loc: CatsEye Observatory,Rural Sout...
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M-7 has to get my vote. I found it by scanning with binoculars when re-learning the constellations almost 30 years ago. My most recent description is the same as my first: like diamond chips scattered on black velvet.
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"My God, it's full of stars!"
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HellsKitchen
sage
Reged: 09/05/08
Posts: 356
Loc: Melbourne Australia
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Quote:
NGC 2362 A diamond with some sprinkled sugar.
I was just about to mention that one, it's definately one of the prettiest open clusters out there IMO.
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drshr
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/08
Posts: 674
Loc: Darwin, Australia
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Jewel Box
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Doc
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Quote:
Jewel Box
NGC 4755- gets another vote. This is a beautiful sight.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
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HellsKitchen
sage
Reged: 09/05/08
Posts: 356
Loc: Melbourne Australia
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NGC 3766 - absolute stunner. When I first swept it up I was taken by surprise, such a fantastic object yet is practically unheard of. Dense mass of blue stars flanked by 2 red ones.
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S 38º 00' E 145º20'
Custom 12" F/4.6 dob
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Mark Costello
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/08/05
Posts: 1311
Loc: Matthews, NC, USA
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My favorite is really a two-for-one, the double cluster in Perseus (NGC869 and MGC884). I really like spending a lot of time looking at both of them at 26X and each one at 110X.
Nice runner up favorite open clusters for me include the following
M11 (I really like the view at 220X).
M35 (I mostly spend most of my time seeing this at 110X but lately have started appreciating the lower power views).
M41
NGC752 (For me this actually beats out M45 and M44 as my favorite open cluster to observe at low power).
Stock 1 in Perseus if I got it right (too long have I ignored this in favor of its twin neigbors).
NGC457 (A favorite around October 31).
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Mark Costello
Matthews, NC
Wife, son, three daughters, two dogs, ... and
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GlennLeDrew
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 1296
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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How about this two-fer, which will nicely fit within a 2 deg. field? NGC's 2451 and 2477, located in Puppis at Declination -38 deg. The former is young, with a large spread in member brightness (and nearby), while the latter is old, with a smaller spread in star brightness, and quite rich.
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
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Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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NGC 2451 and 2477 are a fine pair and have always reminded me somewhat of M46 (NGC 2477) and M47 (NGC 2451).
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Man in a Tub
Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!
Reged: 10/28/08
Posts: 2054
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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I certainly have many favorite open clusters as I have acquired the skill in finding them over the past three years. I haven't been consistent in keeping a log of my observations. I lose the exact dates.
But early (5am, approximately) on a Sunday morning this spring, I knew Scorpius would be in view just above the treetops, above the lights of Daly City, Pacifica and all the Peninsula towns to the south. And so, to be ahead of the coming summer fog, I went out with my 20x80 binoculars and tripod. I saw the two "stinger" stars of the Scorpion's tail. I pointed the binoculars to those bright stars and in a few moments M7, Ptolemy's Cluster, stunned me. Of course, I swung up and over to M6, a fascinating cluster too! But it was the success of my determination and the visual prize I had gained that make M7 a favorite. Why had I not tried before?
Edited by Man in a Tub (11/08/08 02:15 AM)
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
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M7 is visible as a reflection from the waters of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Observing M7 from that latitude and altitude (over 12,000 feet) was unlike any view that I'd ever had of it previously. The Milky Way formed an incredibly rich background to the cluster.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Quote:
NGC 2362 A diamond with some sprinkled sugar.
I was not familiar with this cluster until last night. I had a 3AM session scheduled for southern Canis Major. After tracking down some faint Ru clusters (5, 12, 13, and 150) I was ready for a treat. However, I got the numbers mixed up and went to NGC 2354. What is all the fuss about? I rechecked my notes and headed over to the correct cluster 2362. Oops!
My seeing was poor, the image boiled at 146x in my 13 Ethos. (Now I regret selling the 17 Nagler. Hope our friends at TeleVue will hurry with the 22 Ethos.) This would be a fair Top 10 choice. I liked it better than M41. A big diamond with a good concentration of diamond chips in a compact area. The U2000 Deep Sky Guide says a range of brightness, but the diamond chips all seemed about equal brightness to me. I can't be sure from chart, but the bright central star could be multiple with two faint companions. Or, they could be just cluster background members, not sure. But pretty anyway.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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Wunderdog
member
Reged: 03/02/08
Posts: 55
Loc: Sussex County NJ
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To me no evening is complete without checking out the Double Cluster. In my C80 ED I like the 14mm Meade UWA or the new 20mm AT wide angle. I particularly like the "upper" cluster... it looks like it has a "dream catcher" at its core. It certainly never fails to capture me for at least 10 -15 minutes. I usually don't have such a clear view to the south, but this summer I caught my first glimpse of M11. Yikes!
This thread is going to be a great reference to broaden my horizons.
Clear Nights!
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Have you seen the stars tonight... would you like to go up on A-Deck and look at them with me?
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blb
sage
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 215
Loc: Piedmont NC
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To me there are many clusters that I love, like M11 with the bright orange star in the middle of a blue-white cluster, M46 with the Planetary Nebula in front of cluster,
M45 with the reflection nebulae. But this past week at the Mid Atlantic Star Party my wife was going thru the Open Clusters in Cassiopeia and found one that I realy loved looking at in my C11. From a dark sky NGC7789 thru my C11 with a 13mm Nagler was just beautiful. There were strings of stars on a gray background of faint stars that looked like the the edges of rose petals in a rose bud, hence the name "The White Rose Cluster". This cluster is just awsome to look at.
Buddy
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C-11, C-6, XT10i Dob, ETX125PE, TV102, & AT66
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WadeVC
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Loc: Lodi, California,
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In addition to the ones the OP listed, I would also like to add M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster) to the list.
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Dave Mitsky
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Quote:
Quote:
NGC 2362 A diamond with some sprinkled sugar.
My seeing was poor, the image boiled at 146x in my 13 Ethos. (Now I regret selling the 17 Nagler. Hope our friends at TeleVue will hurry with the 22 Ethos.) This would be a fair Top 10 choice. I liked it better than M41. A big diamond with a good concentration of diamond chips in a compact area. The U2000 Deep Sky Guide says a range of brightness, but the diamond chips all seemed about equal brightness to me. I can't be sure from chart, but the bright central star could be multiple with two faint companions. Or, they could be just cluster background members, not sure. But pretty anyway.
Fourth magnitude Tau Canis Majoris is a triple star. There are over 50 other stars in NGC 2362, ranging from 8th to 11th magnitude. As seen through a moderately large aperture, the faint stars seem to "fade away into the distance", giving the cluster quite a three dimensional appearance.
NGC 2362 is a very young open cluster. In addition to the nickname of the Tau Canis Majoris Cluster, NGC 2362 is also called the Mexican Jumping Bean Cluster. Try tapping your telescope and watch what happens to Tau as compared to its fainter companions and you'll see why.
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/N/NGC_2362.html
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Downward Bound
Adrenaline Junkie
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Posts: 2642
Loc: Seattle
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Not original but still my favorites: NGC869 and NGC884 - and so much to see scanning the surrounding area too.
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Bill
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robinsondd
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Posts: 321
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A late post, just catchin' up. When Orion rises, I enjoy NGC 2169 a lot. It's commonly known as the "37" cluster.
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EthKat
member
Reged: 11/05/08
Posts: 24
Loc: Lake Charles, Louisiana
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I would like to add M35 and ngc 2158. M35 easily seen but ngc2158 took averted vision to make out well from my yard.
Still a great surprise in the same FOV. M7 when it was viewable is great aswell.
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EdZ
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Posts: 14732
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Quote:
M7 is visible as a reflection from the waters of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Dave Mitsky
I found M7 reflected in the calm waters of Lake Damariscotta in Maine.
Loons on the Lake (Binocular Observing Report)
I find I can't have just one favorite.
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
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Mr. Bill
Post Laureate
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Have to agree with edz....my favorite is the one I'm observing.
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Erik Bakker
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/10/06
Posts: 534
Loc: Haren, The Netherlands, Europe
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My favourites are:
M45
Double Clusters
Orion's belt: awesome!
CS,
Erik
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Quote:
Fourth magnitude Tau Canis Majoris is a triple star. There are over 50 other stars in NGC 2362, ranging from 8th to 11th magnitude. As seen through a moderately large aperture, the faint stars seem to "fade away into the distance", giving the cluster quite a three dimensional appearance.
NGC 2362 is a very young open cluster. In addition to the nickname of the Tau Canis Majoris Cluster, NGC 2362 is also called the Mexican Jumping Bean Cluster. Try tapping your telescope and watch what happens to Tau as compared to its fainter companions and you'll see why.
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/N/NGC_2362.html
Dave Mitsky
I had another 3AM session scheduled last night. Once again I was plagued by poor seeing, but I put NGC 2362 at the beginning of my list instead of the end so I would be fresh (well, as fresh as one can be at 3 AM). The cluster was just crossing the meridian, and the depth of stars was quite easily seen. Overall, the cluster seems to have a triangular shape. For longer focal lengths, I like this cluster better than nearby M41. With my 12.5" scope and a 31 Nagler I can barely fit M41 in, whereas NGC 2362 is nicely framed even at 240x. Of course with my 80 mm APO I may choose differently.
Not to change the thread topic too much, but if you pick up NGC 2362 there is a double nearby on par with Alberio. Go about 1-3/4 north and perhaps a quarter degree west (about 7h17m -23d 25'). U2000 doesn't give it a designation, but it is fairly bright, perhaps 5th magnitude. The companion is perhaps one magnitude fainter with an easy separation. The colors are very saturated and striking - gold for the primary, turquois for the secondary.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
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DeepSpaceTour
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Reged: 10/25/05
Posts: 3164
Loc: In the dark and"WAY"out there!
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I agree with the,"the one I am observing"sentiment but having said that,last night I had the 15x70 and 25x100 binoculars out at a dark sky site to observe the Venus,Jupiter,Moon conjunction that is going on right now.But I turned the bino's onto many DSO's over the few hours I was out observing,and the Double Cluster in Perseus,is absolutely stunning eyecandy,they just draw you in...and the different colour stars..well...magnificent!!!
Clear skies.
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Bill
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Magellan
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This is easy for me:
1.) NGC884/NGC869
2.) M37
3.) M38/NGC1907 (low Power/Stunning)
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Jeff D
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John Kocijanski
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Quote:
To me no evening is complete without checking out the Double Cluster.
Agreed. It looks great even with a smaller aperture scope. Here is a shot I took a few years ago with a telephoto lens.
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10511
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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Quote:
Not to change the thread topic too much, but if you pick up NGC 2362 there is a double nearby on par with Alberio. Go about 1-3/4 north and perhaps a quarter degree west (about 7h17m -23d 25'). U2000 doesn't give it a designation, but it is fairly bright, perhaps 5th magnitude. The companion is perhaps one magnitude fainter with an easy separation. The colors are very saturated and striking - gold for the primary, turquois for the secondary.
That would be h3945, which is known commonly as the Winter Albireo. The K4III primary shines at magnitude 4.8 mag, the F0 secondary is magnitude 6.8, their separation is 26.6", and the position angle is 55 degrees.
Dave Mitsky
From my CN Gallery:
This is a prime focus shot of the Winter Albireo, the colorful binary star h3945 (Herschel 3945) in Canis Major. It was done with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel DSLR camera and the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at the Naylor Observatory.
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10511
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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I'm also posting an image of NGC 2362 that I took a few years ago.
Dave Mitsky
CN Gallery caption:
Here's a shot of one of my favorite open clusters, NGC 2362 in Canis Major. NGC 2362 is known to amateur astronomers as the Mexican Jumping Bean Cluster due to an interesting effect that occurs when the telescope using to observe it is tapped. The fainter stars of NGC 2362 will appear to stop moving while the bright triple star Tau Canis Majoris continues to bounce up and down in the field of view due to a phenomenon known as the persistence of vision. The image was taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel DSLR at prime focus using the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at the Naylor Observatory.
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Jeff Morgan
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Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Nice pics! I'm going to visit that gallery when I have some downtime at the airport.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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Illinois
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 693
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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M45 is nice in my backyard in bad light pollution. When my son and his friends came over and saw me with my 10"! I showed them M45 in my super scopefinder. My son's friends said ahhhh wow! Then they look up and said where???? That's cool!
There's so many open clusters I like and not easy for me to pick a few....I like NGC 2158 close to M35, M46, M7 and M11 in yellow zone light pollution in my parents' backyard.
In my backyard (white zone)..... M45, M36, M35, M38, M37, Double Clusters, M44, M29 and M39.
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starbux
sage
Reged: 02/08/06
Posts: 290
Loc: Silicon Valley, CA
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I'll second the Tau Canis Major cluster as a great "neglected" cluster. Definitely worth checking out this winter.
Here is a shot of it that I took a couple of years back. 8" LX200 classic and Nikon 5000 camera.
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Rogerio
sage
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Posts: 222
Loc: Salvador; BA; Brazil
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NGC 4755, The Jewel Box, in Crux
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star drop
Guilty as Charged
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 16368
Loc: Snow Plop, WNY
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M45, the Pleiades is my favorite open cluster.
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Ted
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................
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/04/06
Posts: 703
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M37
NGC 884/869 (Double Cluster)
NGC 457
All others - I love open clusters.
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Chaz
super member
Reged: 09/24/05
Posts: 146
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The open clusters you've listed as your favorites (M45, M11, and the Double Cluster) are probably the most celebrated ones and with good reason, they don't come any more spectacular. My personal favorites however, are:
1) NGC 2362 - The Tau Canis Majoris Cluster. A diamond engagement ring in the sky.
2) NGC 7789. There is something mystical and magical about this one for me. So many stars just on the threshold of resolution.
3) M24 - The Small Sagittarius Star Cloud. Not a true cluster but a dense patch of the Milky Way that packs in the most stars in a single telescope field of view.
Chaz
Televue 102
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doctordub
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/11/06
Posts: 1024
Loc: New Rochelle, New York
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M45 is my favorite and first open cluster. I viewed the Pleiades with my 60mm Achromat 36 years ago and it is just as beautiful with my 10" SN, 4" APO, 15X50 IS and now my 8X42 binos.
CS
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gogolplexer
super member
Reged: 06/04/07
Posts: 126
Loc: Toronto, Canada
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I'll add another vote for NGC 2362. I'm particularly fond of this cluster as I "discovered" it by chance on a cold night of observing last year never having heard of it before. I often just scan the sky randomly to see what there is to see. Being a beginner, the sense of discovery is real and exhilerating. Great pictures by the way!
Another one I like ( don't know if it's been mentioned ) is the Alpha Persei cluster. "Discovered" that one looking for Comet Holmes last year.
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RobertPL
member
Reged: 03/04/08
Posts: 35
Loc: Austin, TX
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I decided to dig up this popular thread to express my appreciation for M46/M47 in Puppis. I observed them through 16x70 binos from a dark site last weekend, and the contrast between the two clusters in the same FOV was just spectacular! One is condensed, misty, and basically unresolved, while the other is loose and sparkly with lots of individual stars. They are now positioned very favorably in the relatively early evening. My new favorites for now
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Jim Curry
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Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 432
Loc: Maine
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Lots of good ones in this list. Here's my current favorite: NGC 1502 at the base of Kembles Cascade. Small with the appearance of a radiant point from a star at the south end. Each jump in magnification brings out more stars.
Jim
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Vixen 140 refractor
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proud uncle
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/22/07
Posts: 1576
Loc: Central Texas
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NGC 2362 is definitely one of my favorites.
Quote:
I'll add another vote for NGC 2362. I'm particularly fond of this cluster as I "discovered" it by chance on a cold night of observing last year never having heard of it before.
My first experience was very similar, just a few weeks ago. I was looking for the double star H3945 ("Winter Albireo") when I stumbled upon 2362 and had to go for a closer look.
I looked at it last night. Seeing was not good, so I struggled resolving Tau as a triple, but the view was still very impressive.
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Kenneth
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calan
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Reged: 06/16/07
Posts: 457
Loc: Oklahoma City, OK
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I don't think anyone mentioned it, but in addition to the ones listed, I've always liked M6...The Butterfly Cluster
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proud uncle
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/22/07
Posts: 1576
Loc: Central Texas
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Quote:
I don't think anyone mentioned it, but in addition to the ones listed, I've always liked M6...The Butterfly Cluster
Calan, I agree. The only reason I didn't mention it in my earlier post was I could not quite remember if M6 or M7 was the Butterfly, and didn't want to embarrass myself. I can't remember the NGC #, but I really like the bright binocular OC at the bottom of the Scorpion's tail. There is actually a close grouping of 2 or 3 OC's, which resemble fireworks emanating from a bright triangle of stars. That grouping and M6 are my favorites of Summer.
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Kenneth
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
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Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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You may be referring to NGC 6231, the Northern Jewel Box.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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proud uncle
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/22/07
Posts: 1576
Loc: Central Texas
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Quote:
You may be referring to NGC 6231, the Northern Jewel Box.
Dave Mitsky
Dave, I think you are correct. I'll check my S&T PSA tonight. Thanks.
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Kenneth
Zhumell 10" Dobsonian (f/4.9)
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Quote:
You may be referring to NGC 6231, the Northern Jewel Box.
Dave Mitsky
This has been a great thread to introduce me to some great new clusters. When I observe, I tend to pick a single chart in my atlas (U2000) and try for every object on it. So, I spend lots of time chasing down faint clusters from catalogs I don't even know the names of (or can't pronounce). Clusters that I can't even figure out how they got designated as clusters. As such, I'm sure I miss lots of good ones. (I just realized we are into March I did not manage to see the Klingon Battle Cruiser cluster in Orion. So many clusters, so little time!)
I was hoping this thread would survive long enough for the summer targets to come back up. Way back at the beginning of this thread I mentioned this one (NGC 6231, the Northern Jewel Box) as my favorite. For the unfamiliar it is a worthy candidate for your short list of targets.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 4119
Loc: Ireland
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I'm not normally a huge open cluster fan, but the moon was up the other night and so I decided to view some Messiers that I've never logged.
The foreground planetary nebula in M46 caught my eye and I ended up sketching it:
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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TomN
sage
Reged: 01/14/09
Posts: 264
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I agree with Chaz, NGC 7789. Just incredible in a 4" apo!
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Amateur Astronomer since 1962.
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calan
sage
Reged: 06/16/07
Posts: 457
Loc: Oklahoma City, OK
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Quote:
...the Klingon Battle Cruiser cluster in Orion.
ummm... say what?
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Jeff Morgan
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Reged: 09/28/03
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Loc: Prescott, AZ
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I saw the reference in an observing article in Sky & Tel a few years back. It's a NGC cluster in northern Orion that is supposed to resemble a D7 cruiser. I marked it in my charts. If someone else doesn't bail me out first, I'll post the specific NGC number when I get home next week.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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jhors
Riddle me this
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 978
Loc: Tempe, AZ
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I could see how someone might see a Klingon ship in the "37" cluster, NGC 2169. That "3" could look like a ship??? Maybe?
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-Josh
Boyce Thompson Arboretum:
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jhors
Riddle me this
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 978
Loc: Tempe, AZ
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Ahhhh. Here it is: NGC 1662
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-Josh
Boyce Thompson Arboretum:
10" f/4.7 Dob
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Jeff Lee
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/17/06
Posts: 513
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Double Cluster....
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Jeff Lee
C90,C5,C8, 10 x 50's
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calan
sage
Reged: 06/16/07
Posts: 457
Loc: Oklahoma City, OK
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ahhh... ok.
The "37" cluster is pretty cool... but I never saw a Klingon ship when viewing it. And I'm just a couple degrees short of being a certified "Trekky".
.oO Does having all the plastic Revell models of the Phaser, Tricorder, and Communicator... and running through the woods in a yellow T-shirt and black pants tucked into my golashes when I was 8 years old... make me a Trekky ?
I'll have to take another look at the "37".
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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I'll second that Double Cluster. That is a very, very beautiful sight right there!
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Lard Greystoke
sage
Reged: 07/27/08
Posts: 377
Loc: Ohio
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I prefer the winter clusters over summer. M37 and NGC 2477 are densely packed with stars. My favorite might be M46 with the included (or overlapped) planetary.
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Lard Greystoke
10" Odyssey Compact
"With Tantor, the elephant, he made friends. How? Ask me not."
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1987
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Quote:
Ahhhh. Here it is: NGC 1662
That looks like the one. If you rotate that photo 90 (or 180) degrees right and have a good imagination, you see it.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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keef95
member
Reged: 04/16/08
Posts: 94
Loc: My Own Private Idaho
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There's something about the Wild Duck that floats my boat...
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Suzy
member
Reged: 03/08/09
Posts: 10
Loc: Miskolc, Hungary
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M45
From the light polluted area where I live I could always saw it just as a small fuzzy blob. Now with my new binocular I have seen it first in its full beauty! First I just saw the brigthest main stars, the "Seven Sisters" but then I realized the many, many smaller stars around them. It's just beautiful, like a jewellery box!
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Oh yeah...NGC 4755 ( Jewel Box Cluster ) is another big favorite of mine. Thats a beautiful view right there.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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My favorite? That's easy. M7.
Why?
I started out in the hobby with a Goto scope, the sky was intimidating. My primary mount is still a Goto and I'm comfortable with that. However I also tremendously enjoy binocular viewing and M7 was the first object that I found with my binoculars. I live at 42N so it is never high in the sky, but I went to the beach one day on vacation and sat down with my red flashlight and map from Astronomy magazine and man, there it was. It still is my favorite to this day.
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60mm Swift Refractor
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Dr Morbius
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/06/07
Posts: 1721
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M7 is the 1st one I found in my early days of searching the heavens. Instead of bino's I had a 60mm Tasco scope. Beautiful !! 
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Meade ETX-125
NightFire 6" f/8 Refractor with Moonlite focuser
Meade 14" LX200 S/C
D&G 10" f/15 Refractor with Parallax Mount
Little Giant 11x70mm Binos
I'm afraid of dying, but I've learned to live with it. ......Steve Perry
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mathteacher
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/13/07
Posts: 2059
Loc: SF Bay Area
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I really enjoyed reading this thread. It makes me want clear skies! Being a refractor guy, OCs are my favorite DSO. I like the ones containing stars of different color. The double cluster comes to mind, M41 and M6, the butterfly. M41, the heart of the hunting dog, is my current favorite. It filled my FOV with subtle colors in my 6" refractor at 38x from my urban home.
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Regards, Mr. Wang . . . . . . . My gallery . . . . . . . I'm a refractor guy!
CR 150-HD - The Hammer, Vixen ED100sf - The Skipper, Orion ST80 - The Pug, Orion 7x50 Scenix
Meade DSI Color, Vixen Porta Mount, Vixen Super Polaris, 2" pipe mount
Please join the International Dark Sky Association
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Hrundi
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/06/08
Posts: 1241
Loc: Estonia
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M7 is not visible here
Recently, M103 has started haunting me though. I don't know why, but there's something to that OC.
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izar187
sage
Reged: 09/02/06
Posts: 246
Loc: 43N
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I like M7 too. It looks good at any magnification, and it's neighborhood is loaded with all kinds of other objects.
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4 thru 13 inch scopes.
30 years observing.
You just read this on the internet, so.....
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djeber2
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/02/04
Posts: 733
Loc: Ohio
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Overall favorite: Double Cluster (869, 884)
Also Like to observe M35 and M7. M7 was really outstanding on the very few occasions I observed it from a further south latitude.
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Don
10" Dob, 4 Small scopes, 2 Classic Scopes (4.25" Edmunds, Sears 60mm), Several Binoculars
Job 9:9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4041
Loc: ohio
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Until last night I would have said the double cluster hands down, but using my 4 inch f/10 refractor and a 2 inch GSO Superview 32mm ep, the beehive blew me away...now Im flipping and flopping,hehehehehehehehe.
Hey that photo of the supposed 37 cluster, Thats the giant S Ive been trying to explain to everyone.
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12 inch Truss Reflector "John"
102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6034
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Mine's M44 too, Andy.  It's absolutely stunning any way you look at it.. scope, binos or naked-eye.
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 Authoring the monthly AstroSketch page in "Sky at Night" magazine
Lunar Sketch Tutorial
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10511
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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Quote:
NGC 2362 A diamond with some sprinkled sugar.
NGC 2362 was the subject of Wednesday's episode of Stardate.
http://stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=detail&id=2009-03-18
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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