M35 - One of the better clusters?

[Bart]

Hi All,

Lovely clear night last night for a couple of hours. I'm pretty new to astronomy but got the binocs out for an hour last night and spotted M35, 36, 37 and 38 within a short time frame. I like to find them in the binocs before trying them in the 6" Newtonian. I have to say that M35 looked lovely. Would I be right in saying it might be one of the more beautiful clusters (obviously Pleides and Beehive are lovely also).

Bart

[callisto]

I must agree,

M35 looks amazing in my Dob, in fact no....stunning

[James]

M35 is a nice one - when you use the 6" see if you can spot NGC 2158 (I think) which is another much fainter cluster very close by. I doubt you'll be able to see it as more than a smudge but it's a nice bonus

James

[AndyExton]

M35 is one of my favourite clusters to observe

[Nexus 6]

Hi Bart, have a look at M11 the Wild Duck Cluster in Scutum, its a superb open cluster and well worth a look

[tom33pr]

I agree - M35 is stunning even with a relatively small scope!

[Moonshane]

M35 is one of my faves too. It takes a bit of magnification well and around 100x you see a lovely background peppering of stars. I have seen NGC 2158 but it can be tricky. It's certainly not like in this photo http://thebigfoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/messier-35.jpg (not mine - bottom right).

I also agree with Alan - M11 made me gasp the first time I saw it.

[mario11]

i love this cluster

[WayBig]

One of my favourites too. I've never managed to pick out the Ngc cluster though despite trying on a few nights. Darker skies needed I think

[cotterless45]

Lovely group of open clusters. Can't be beating M13 in Hercules though, it's a stunner. M5 is a kind of mini version.

[Bart]

You're right, M13 is a beauty alright

[Aussie Observer]

Open clusters are fun, I really enjoy looking at them but globular clusters are more challenging to find. They become very addictive especially the fainter ones but nothing beats Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae for size and beauty.

[Demonperformer]

As someone who likes OCs, I would have to agree that M35 is up there with the best.

[WayBig]

Open clusters are fun, I really enjoy looking at them but globular clusters are more challenging to find. They become very addictive especially the fainter ones but nothing beats Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae for size and beauty.

probably true, but the pesky Earth gets in the the way for me!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Open clusters are fun, I really enjoy looking at them but globular clusters are more challenging to find. They become very addictive especially the fainter ones but nothing beats Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae for size and beauty.

I have to agree that 47 Tucanae is one of the wonders of the sky. I was down in Cape Town and spotted it with the naked eye first, and then with 15x70 bins.

M35 is one of the finest open clusters, but M11 also a favourite. It is so compact that in binoculars it can be mistaken for a high-surface-brightness globular. Back to the southern hemisphere: the Southern Pleiades and the Wishing-Well Cluster are great.

[Rob L]

...but nothing beats Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae for size and beauty.

You have to rub it in don't you

[m_j_lyons]

When I'm short on time but want to see some real natural beauty I love to spin through M35...37...36...38. They are all so close that if you can see one, you can likely see them all. M35 is a great OC...but I'm growing more fond of M38 becuase of the stars around (smiley face asterism for example). All are good and all are unique. You may not even be sure you're looking at NGC2158 under most conditions...but it's there - I chaulk those up for a constant challenge - make a positive ID.