Messier Index/M34

Messier 34 280px w:2MASS image of M34 (taken in w:infrared band; falsecolor) J2000.0 I,3,m 02 42.1SIMBAD Astronomical Database Results for Messier 34 http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad 2006-12-08 +42 46 Perseus 1.4 klyFebruary 2007 0.4 kPc 5.5February 2007 35.0′February 2007 - 7 lyFebruary 2007 - 180 million yearsFebruary 2007 NGC 1039 Messier 34 (also known as M 34 or NGC 1039) is an w:open cluster in the w:constellation Perseus. It was discovered by w:Giovanni Batista Hodierna before w:1654 and included by w:Charles Messier in his catalog of w:comet-like objects in w:1764. M34 is at a distance of about 1,400 w:light-years away from w:Earth and consists of some 100 w:stars. It spans about 35' on the sky which translates to a true radius of 7 w:light years. The cluster is just visible to the naked eye in very dark conditions, well away from city lights. It is well seen in w:binoculars. External links Messier 34, SEDS Messier pages Messier 34 Amateur Image by Waid Observatory References Membership of Stars in NGC 1039 (M34): w:NASA w:Astrophysics Data System link to an article by B. F. Jones and Charles F. Prosser.