Object Analysis

Messier 52 (M52) is a rich and compressed open cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1774. It is located about 5,000 light-years away and is one of the more spectacular open clusters for amateur observers due to its high density of stars.

M52 contains nearly 200 stars in a region only 19 light-years across. It is an intermediate-age cluster, roughly 35 million years old. The most prominent member is a bright yellow giant star of magnitude 7.7. The cluster is positioned near the Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635), and the two are often photographed together in wide-field images.

In a telescope, M52 is often described as having a "salt and pepper" appearance because of the many fine, faint stars scattered among the brighter members. It is a very "busy" cluster, and because it is located against the rich background of the Milky Way, it offers a stunning example of a young stellar community still tightly bound by gravity.