M34
Where is M34?
Look south, about 81° up at 02:41 in Perseus.
- Rises
- Always up
- Highest
- 02:45
- Sets
- Never
- Best after dark
- 02:41 · 81°
Can I see M34 tonight?
From London tonight, M34 is above the horizon all night. It’s highest after dark at 02:41, in the south at 81°.
At magnitude 5.2, with its light spread out, it needs binoculars and a dark sky.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does M34 look like?
Eyes
Under dark skies, a faint hazy spot.
Binoculars
A loose group of stars, partly resolved.
Telescope
At low power, a nicely scattered cluster of a few dozen stars, many in pairs.
About M34
M34 is a bright, scattered open cluster in Perseus, about 1,500 light-years away. It contains around a hundred stars, including several pretty pairs.
It is easy to locate between Algol and Almach, and it shows well even in small instruments.
M34 is around 200 million years old and contains about a hundred stars, the brightest around magnitude 8. It was recorded by Giovanni Hodierna before 1654 and added to Messier’s list in 1764.
Open clusters like M34 are families of stars born together from one cloud of gas. Over hundreds of millions of years, the gravity of passing clouds and stars pulls them apart, and they spread into the general star field.
The area is a good one for small telescopes: the Double Cluster lies well to the north, the variable star Algol is a few degrees east, and Almach, a fine colorful double star, lies to the west.
Nearby in the sky
Questions
When is M34 best placed?
Sources: SkyMate; star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences