Open Star Clusters
| Comet 17/P Holmes |
| M103, Open Cluster in Cassiopeia |
| M34, Open Cluster in Perseus |
| The Double Cluster (NGC 884 and NGC 869) |
Comets and Asteroids
Star clusters come in two general types: open clusters and globular clusters. The open variety is quite
common and consists of groups of stars traveling through space in a similar direction and speed. The
members are thought to have formed at a similar time in the distant past. Typically, an open cluster will be
made up of a 100 or so members. Many were catalogued in the 17th and 18th century as early
astronomers looked at areas of the night sky that looked "fuzzy" with the naked eye. These make nice
binocular targets.
Click on the image of interest to see a larger version.
common and consists of groups of stars traveling through space in a similar direction and speed. The
members are thought to have formed at a similar time in the distant past. Typically, an open cluster will be
made up of a 100 or so members. Many were catalogued in the 17th and 18th century as early
astronomers looked at areas of the night sky that looked "fuzzy" with the naked eye. These make nice
binocular targets.
Click on the image of interest to see a larger version.
| Asteroid 18590 as it passes Galaxy NGC 5211 |
| The Pleiades, M45 |