Messier 36, 37, 38 (M 36, 37, 38)

Introduction | Map | Pseudo Photo (Starry Night 7) | My Best Own Photos | My Own Observations | References || Appendix: My Own Photos

On this page I collect my observations of the open star clusters M 36 (NGC 1960), M 37 (NGC 2099), and M 38 (NGC 1912) in the constellation Auriga.

 

Introduction

Auriga (with main star Capella) belonged to the constellations that were more or less unknown to me at the beginning. At the core the constellation forms a hexagon if you take it exactly, but it is likely that you will perceive only a pentagon... This is a very striking pattern, but it is located very high up sometimes (for example, in February), so you have to look steeply upwards to see it. Perhaps this is a reason for my ignorance with respect to it...

In Auriga there are three more striking Messier objects, the open star clusters M 36, M 37, and M 38. They are located almost on a line, which projects from the outside into the hexagon. The exact sequence is: M 37 (outside) - M 36 Inside) - M 38 (further inside) (from East to West).

M 36 (NGC 1960)   M 37 (NGC 2099)   M 38 (NGC 1912)
Size: 12' (Stoyan)
Distance: 3,300 light years (Stoyan)
Rating: *** (Stoyan)
     Size: 16' (Stoyan)
Distance: 4,500 light years (Stoyan)
Rating: *** (Stoyan)
     Size: 25' (Stoyan) - nearly moon size
Distance: 3,500 light years (Stoyan)
Rating: *** (Stoyan)

Nearby, there are the nebulae IC 405 and IC 410 (see map below). IC 410 (with embedded open star cluster NGC 1893) can also be photographed together with M 36 (plus NGC 1931, IC 417) in a Vespera mosaic.

 

Map

M 37, M 36, and M 38 in constellation Auriga (large overview map) (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

 

Pseudo Photo (Starry Night 7)

Pseudo photo of M 37, M 36, and M 38 created with Starry Night 7 (large version, larger version) (Image Courtesy of Starry Night Education, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

 

My Best Own Photos

eVscope

M 36

    

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

 

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

M 37

    

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

 

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

M 38

    

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

 

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

M 36, M 37, M 38 (Comparison)

         

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020, processed

 

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020, processed

 

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020, processed

Vespera

M 36, M 37, M 38

    

M 36, Feb 13, 2023 - original, 600s

 

M 37, Feb 13, 2023 - original, 600s

   

M 38, Feb 13, 2023 - original, 600s

   

M 36 and M 38 (plus IC 417, NGC 1907, NGC 1931)

    

M 36/38, Feb 7, 2023 - original, 4950s, mosaic

 

Ditto, evaluation with astrometry.net

M 36 and IC 410 (plus NGC 1931, IC 417, NGC 1893)

    

M 36 & IC 410, Feb 29, 2024 - original, 6830s, mosaic, CLS Filter

 

M 36 & IC 410, Feb 29, 2024 - large, 6830s, mosaic, CLS Filter, processed (PSE, DN)

   
   

Evaluation with nova.astrometry.net

 

My Own Observations

Observations February 2017

The visibility and rating of the three star clusters thus fluctuated quite a bit. But at least one can state that all the three star clusters were more or less well recognizable even when using a 4" telescope.

*) Whether this was due to a wrong alignment of the telescope, I do not know. In any case, it was very difficult for me to point the LED finder at these three targets because they were so high up in the sky. I therefore tried it on "good luck". Here a 90° angle finder would surely have served me well!

Observations End of March 2017

Observations February to April 2018

Observations February 2019 ff

Observations January to May 2020

Observations November 2020

Observations January to February 2021

Observations March to April 2022

Observations February 2023

Observations March 2024

 

References

On this Site


Appendix: My Own Photos

Atik Infinity & Explorer 150PDS (February 12, 2018)

         

M 36 (Auriga), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed and sharpened

 

Ditto, post-processed more aggressively and sharpened

         

M 37 (Auriga), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed and sharpened

 

Ditto, post-processed more aggressively and sharpened

         

M 38 (Auriga), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed and sharpened

 

Ditto, post-processed more aggressively and sharpened

Photos taken with Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PDS (February 12, 2018), 600 x 600 section with 1:1 pixels in the large version

Atik Infinity & Explorer 150PDS (April 8, 2018)

         

M 36 (Auriga), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed

 

Ditto, post-processed and sharpened

         

M 36 (Auriga), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed

 

Ditto, post-processed and sharpened

Photos taken with Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PDS (April 8, 2018), originals reduced to 600 x 450 pixels; found M 36 when looking for M 38...

eVscope

M 36

         

M 36 - Feb 15, 2020

 

M 36 - Feb 16, 2020

 

M 36 - Mar 13, 2020

   

M 36 - Mar 13, 2020

 

M 36 - Mar 18, 2020

 

M 36 - Mar 18, 2020, photo left processed

     

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020

   
     

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

 

M 36 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

   

M 37

         

M 37 - Feb 15, 2020

 

M 37 - Feb 16, 2020

 

M 37 - Mar 13, 2020

   

M 37 - Mar 18, 2020

 

M 37 - Mar 18, 2020, processed

  M 37 - May 10, 2020, processed (Live View)
     

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020

   
     

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

 

M 37 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

   

M 38

         

M 38 - Feb 15, 2020, manual exposure

 

M 38 - Feb 15, 2020

 

M 38 - Feb 16, 2020

   
M 38 - Mar 13, 2020   M 38 - Mar 18, 2020   M 38 - Mar 18, 2020, processed
     

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020

 

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020

   
     

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

 

M 38 - Nov 17, 2020, photo above processed

   

eVscope 2

M 36

        

M 36 - Mar 20, 2022

 

M 36 - Mar 20, 2022, photo left processed

   

M 37

        

M 37 - Mar 20, 2022

 

M 37 - Mar 20, 2022, photo left processed

   

M 38

         

M 36 - Mar 20, 2022

 

M 36 - Mar 20, 2022, photo left processed

 

M 38 - Apr 9, 2022

Vespera

M 36, M 37, M 38

    

M 36, Feb 13, 2023 - original, 600s

 

M 37, Feb 13, 2023 - original, 600s

   

M 38, Feb 13, 2023 - original, 600s

   

M 36 and IC 410 (plus IC 417, NGC 1907, NGC 1931)

    

M 36/38, Feb 7, 2023 - original, 4950s, mosaic

 

Ditto, evaluation with astrometry.net

M 36 and IC 410 (plus NGC 1931, IC 417, NGC 1893)

    

M 36 & IC 410, Feb 29, 2024 - original, 6830s, mosaic, CLS Filter

 

M 36 & IC 410, Feb 29, 2024 - large, 6830s, mosaic, CLS Filter, processed (PSE, DN)

   
   

Evaluation with nova.astrometry.net