10 favorite Open Star Cluster's

[TreyTolbert]

I'm interested in hearing your top ten, my observations were done with my ES AR127 and a 20mm AT Titan ep., all of these clusters are outstanding with the same set up, my list is as follows and in no certain order:

1. M7
2. M34
3. M39
4. M41
5. M44
6. M46
7. M47
8. Double Cluster
9. NGC 457
10. Stock. 2

[J-WeB]

M36
M37
M38
M41
M44
M23
M45
M7
M6

I'm missing one, but I can't think of any more of my favs.

[TreyTolbert]

Thanks J-Web, I'll try to look for some of those next chance I get, and maybe even add a few more.

[j.gardavsky]

Hello all,

here are my most amazing 10 open clusters for the binoculars and small scopes:

M11 The Wild Duck Cluster: changes its appearance in small scopes when increasing the magnification
Trumpler 37 ionizing the Elephant Trunk Nebula IC 1396: nice star chains in small binoculars, double star S2819, triple star S2816, resolvable in the big binoculars; the S2816 is one of the easiest resolvable Burnham's multiple stars, B1143
'The Triple Cluster in Cassiopeia': NGC 133, NGC 146, and King14 make a tight visual triple with the best King for the big binoculars (25x100) and small scopes
The Double Cluster in Perseus: its western companion, the NGC 869, changes its appearance with the magnification
M34 The Spiral Cluster in Perseus with its nice double stars for the binoculars like 15x70
Melotte 20 The Alpha Persei Moving Group: amazing cluster in the mid-sized binoculars, like 15x70
NGC 1502 condensed bright cluster with the binocular double S485 at the end of the Kemble's Cascade, best through the scopes at the magnification around 50x
M45 The Pleiades with their reflection nebulae, best through the binoculars like 15x85 and 25x100
M47 one of the richiest cluster on the bright double stars
M46 'dusty' cluster behind the bright planetary nebula NGC 2438, best through the big binoculars (25x100) and scopes

Sorry for leaving out some other amazing Messiers, NGCs, and Collinders, but the thread is on the top ten.

Happy hunting,

JG

[wgbeatty]

These are all ones I've seen either in binoculars or in my small telescope.

M44 - Beehive Cluster
M11 - Wild Duck Cluster
M25
M45 - The Pleiades
M35
M36
M37
M38
Double Cluster
Coma Star Cluster Melotte 111- need binoculars for this one

M44, M11 and M45 and the Double Cluster are my absolute favorites.

[KT4HX]

Though I do not observe open clusters as much as I do other DSOs, here is my list:

M11 (Wild Duck Cluster)
NGC 2362 (Tau Canis Majoris Cluster)
NGC 457 (Owl Cluster)
NGC 4755 (Jewel Box)
M46 (with NGC 2438 in the foreground)
M47
M7 (with M6 in the view)
M35 (with NGC 2158 in the view)
Double Cluster
M48

[TreyTolbert]

Thanks for the input, we all had a few in common, makes me want to find the ones I haven't seen and expand the list to 20...lol,

Thanks Again, Trey

[hal2000]

NGC663, NGC654 in Cassiopeia and NGC1528 in Perseus are also well worth a look.

In fact, you could nearly make a list of the top 10 clusters in and around Cassiopeia and Perseus.

[TreyTolbert]

How could I have forgotten M35, that was a great one I looked at this winter, thanks for bringing that to my atten.

[TreyTolbert]

Thanks JG, I don't have a pair bino's, but I will try them in my 8x50 or 9x50 finders.