Open Cluster and Bright Nebula in Cassiopeia
Star-hop chart
Although the constellation Cassiopeia resides in a rich section of the Milky Way and contains many star clusters, Messier 52 is only one of two deep-sky objects that made it onto Messier's list (along with another open cluster, Messier 103). Messier 52 is a rich cluster of over 200 stars covering an area of sky about 1/3 the diameter of the full Moon.
In the lower, wide-field image, the Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) can be seen about 1/2 degree to the lower right of M52.
| Magnitude | 6.9 |
| Apparent Size | 13' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 4,600 |
| Right Ascension | 23:24.2 |
| Declination | +61 35 |
| Field of View | 29' x 22' |
Upper image: Exposure times of 36 minutes luminance and 9 minutes each of red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG ST-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/6.
November 2014
Lower image: 70 exposures of 30 seconds each, taken with a Dwarf Mini telescope.
August 2026
