Stars show their true colors, both to the naked eye and in telescopes. Open clusters can be dazzling displays of vast numbers of colorful jewels. Even those without color are beautiful, as their spangled brilliance gives an impression of diamonds on black velvet. If viewed with the right optics and from a dark location, and with a little patience and dark adaptation, you may soon be rewarded with a mesmerizing "space walk" experience.

NGC 752 is visible in small and medium telescopes. In a 6-inch Newtonian the 50-plus population fills the field of view at 48 power. This cluster is estimated to be about 1.2 billion years old, or roughly one-fourth the age of our Solar System.
6-inch Newtonian

NGC 6709
We include this cluster mostly because it was on the menu of a GOTO telescope. After keying it in and taking a look, we decided to make some drawings. This is the result - actually our first rendering. There is very little written about this cluster, and most of the available information is either very brief or contradictory. It is barely mentioned in Burnham's Handbook. However we do know that this object is best viewed with larger apertures (8-inches or more). At a distance of 2,500 light years, it contains about 40 stars. 
13-inch Dob

Auriga is host to three dominant open clusters in the Messier catalog. M-36 is one of them. Although M-37 gets most of the attention, this cluster makes a striking image on a dark and still night. There are subdued colors here, but one particular sun near the center looks like a carbon star.
10-inch SCT

M-37 has long been a favorite of ours. It can tease the imagination. Geometric figures, animal shapes, clown faces. Look again, and they're gone. A story book fantasy in the eyepiece. Not much color, but a few orange suns.
7-inch Mak-Newt.

M-38 is is about 220 million years old. The brightest member is a 7.9 magnitude yellow giant of spectral type G0, with a luminosity of 900 suns. By most accounts, this cluster’s brightest stars form a pattern resembling the Greek letter Pi. However, at moderate power we see a distorted cross, with a central bright star surrounded by an open stellar circle. NGC-1907 is one moon diameter to the southwest.
5-inch refractor

NGC 1857 is a relatively neglected and unstudied object. It consists mainly of blue main sequence stars, but there are about a dozen red giants in the central field. Its age is about 180 million years. The brightest stars are much closer, and probably don't belong to its own population. They might belong to the very loose cluster Czernik 20, which is situated north, but extends into the field of view. A colorful subject for astrophotography.
10-inch SCT

NGC 1907 is parked in the same cosmic garage as M-38. In fact, you can get to this cluster by star-hopping from M-38 (only 30 arc minutes away to the northeast). The two are joined by a faint ring of stars between them. There is a trace of nebulosity here, but it's so fleeting we were somewhat reluctant to include it. A difficult cluster to resolve, but a striking image. 
7-inch refractor

Kemble's Cascade & NGC 1502
Okay, everybody who knew about this one raise your hand. Yeah, right! Talk about obscurity! The only reason we found it is because it was listed in a GOTO file, and we got curious. Let’s face it, when the word “Asterism” shows up on the LED display, most observers skip over it. After all, how interesting can asterisms be? Kemble’s Cascade is an asterism. Nothing really spectacular by itself. Just a long train out in the middle of nowhere. But it makes an interesting stop - right at NGC 1502, where the [yellow-yellow] double star Struve-485 resides. Together, the entire assembly bears a strong resemblance to a 4-iron. Of course if William Herschel had included a description of both in his New General Catalog, and had combined them as one object, it may have enjoyed far more notoriety in the past 200 years than merely being mentioned as a small cluster and a nearby “asterism”.
13-inch Dob

Cancer is a faint constellation. All of its named stars are dimmer than the Messier objects within it. M-44 is a bright 3rd magnitude cluster, which covers over a full degree of sky. It is known as the "Beehive Cluster", or Praesepe ("The Manger"). There are about 200 stars here, all about 400 million years old. It makes its best impression at low power, and in binoculars.
101mm refractor

Although M-44 appears brighter and gets more attention, M-67 is no slouch when it comes to putting on a show. It is especially pleasing in small and medium telescopes. Besides being twice the actual size of M-44, and five times farther away, it is one of the oldest open clusters in the galaxy, at between 4 and 5 billion years, or roughly the same age as the Solar System. It contains approximately 300 stars. Stephen O'Meara calls this cluster the "King Cobra", noting its overall S-shape as reminiscent of a snake. Many of its members have evolved into red and orange giants. 
6-inch refractor

M-41 was independently discovered by Flamsteed, Le Gentil, and Messier, but was observed as early as 325 BC by Aristotle. It contains about 100 stars, and is visible to the naked eye. It can be a spectacular 3-dimensional experience in large binoculars, and is a stunning sight in any size telescope. As is the case with almost all open clusters, there is a red star near the center of the group – a 7th magnitude K3 giant. 
5-inch refractor

Caroline's Cluster
It is aptly named. We hold a special place of high regard for Caroline Herschel. Her accomplishments, contributions, and unwavering devotion to science were achievements of profound inspiration. She discovered this cluster while finding comets to add to William's catalog. NGC 2360's field of view includes a 5th magnitude field star, and a curious orange/yellow foreground star which seems to only show up in larger apertures. This neglected cluster is a mass of knots, strings, chains, and loops. We believe we've noticed dark nebulae at three locations near the center. We haven't been able to locate any good photos to bear this out. 75 to 100 stars. 
10-inch SCT

NGC 2362 is approximately 25 million years old, and consists of about 60 stars. The brightest star is Tau Canis Majoris, a naked-eye star of spectral type O8 - extremely hot and very bright. Tau is a 4th magnitude supergiant, and one of the most luminous known (fifty thousand times brighter than the sun). It is a triple star, and under high power the bright primary can be easily separated from its two bluish companions. This cluster presents a really nice image in any telescope. The beehive of inhabitants around Tau can look nebulous at low power. But slip in a Barlow, and they pop into resolution.
Large Alvan Clark refractor

NGC 2516 is often referred to as the "False Cross", and has been named the "Southern Jewelbox" because it contains so many colorful stars. This cluster covers over a full degree of sky, and is best viewed at very low power or with binoculars. A very nice image with a widefield eyepiece. There are three binaries here - h 4027 and 4031, and I-1104. All three have eighth magnitude primaries and eighth to ninth magnitude companions.
101mm refractor

NGC 3293
This is one of the showiest open clusters in the southern sky. It was sketched by Art Krohl from a location in the Florida Keys. Visible only from southern latitudes, NGC-3293 is abundant with hot blue stars which are only about 6 million years old - hardly a tick of the cosmic clock. Here are two views from different telescopes, a medium refractor, and a large Dobsonian. There are a few red giants in the population.
5-inch refractor
20-inch Dob

NGC 3532 is a bright eliptical cluster of about 150 stars. It covers an area of sky that's twice the size of the full moon. It is visible to the unaided eye and is a thrilling sight in binoculars. Various chains and loops are visible in small telescopes, as well as a few bright orange stars. Drawn by Art Krohl in the Florida Keys, this cluster offers a high degree of visual impact.
101mm refractor

M-52 is located about 6 degrees northwest of Beta Cas. At medium power, the overall shape of a scorpion can be detected, the tail of which arcs toward a bright field star to the north. In terms of density, M-52 ranks third in the Messier catalog. There are about 200 stars here.
5-inch refractor

M-103 is a great binocular subject, but it can be difficult to find with a telescope, especially in urban areas. There are a few dozen members, one of which is a red-orange supergiant. It's rendered here after long sessions of cross-eyed delirium at the eyepiece.
10-inch SCT

NGC 103
Matching NGC and Messier numbers in the same Constellation? We include this cluster here for reasons other than coincidence. For even on nights of the highest purity the attendant nebulosity is a challenge. Yet on other nights it can literally jump out at you. There are over 140 stars here, and the visible population increases with aperture size. An interesting subject, in a constellation that's full of open clusters.
11-inch SCT

NGC 457 is called the "Owl Cluster" and the "ET Cluster". Although it's the brightest cluster in Cassiopeia, we usually have difficulty identifying either of those figures. If we stretch the point we might be able to visualize them, but averted vision is usually required. We've seen a likeness in photographs, (sort of) but rarely in the eyepiece. Our image was rendered over time, with many sessions. We enjoy it for what we see, even when it's not an owl.
6-inch Newtonian

NGC 663 is a great binocular subject, and easy pickings in small telescopes. In fact, this view is rendered from the eyepiece of an 85mm refractor. Not much color, but bright, and pleasing to the senses. A lot easier to grab than M-103, and much easier to draw! There are obvious dark lanes which help give this cluster a distinct but elusive shape. At least two of us see the outline of a cat. 
85mm refractor.

Discovered by Caroline Herschel, NGC 7789 is about 1½ billion years old. It's a very rich and compact cluster with over 600 members. In a 4-inch aperture it resolves into about 50 stars. It is extremely dense, and in widefield astrophotos it appears almost globular, and quite discernible against the galactic carpet. There are quite a few orange giants here.
7-inch Mak-Newt

Although NGC 6939 is an eye-popper in large apertures, it's really boring in small and medium telescopes. Virtually every amateur who's looked at this cluster through a medium-sized tube is certain to believe there's absolutely nothing to see. And why shouldn't they? There's very little said or written about this cluster. But if you should chance upon it while at the controls of a big light bucket, you'll be amazed at what you see - and at what you think you see. It's all but impossible to get any brightness out of this object (perhaps due to several magnitudes of extinction), but there's plenty of strange shapes, arms, monsters and tentacles to keep your imagination busy. Every now and then we see a grinning lecherous rat. Spiral galaxy NGC 6946 is very close, and can be seen in the same field of view at low power.
20-inch Dob

NGC 7419
We literally stumbled upon this one. We had no information on it, except for the display-coordinates on our GoTo & Tracking Systems' computer screen. We found it at RA: 22-54-18; DEC: +60-50-00. Some searching turned it up in Burnham's and in the Night Sky Observer's Guide. It's a fairly concentrated group, with 20 to 40 members. The three brightest stars appear to be magnitude 10 & 11. This image was rendered at 166 power. Some nice color - at least three yellow-orange suns.
5-inch refractor

NGC 7510 is a distant but bright cluster, visible at low power as a hazy smudge. At moderate power, there’s a hint of surrounding nebulosity (the "edges" of a large nebula - Sharpless 2-157). At high power, approximately two dozen of this cluster's 60 or so stars can be resolved, and the nebulosity is replaced by background condensation (slip in an O-III filter, and parts of Sh2-157 will loom into view). The cluster can be almost entirely resolved in a 24-inch Dob. In long-exposure astrophotos, it maintains its definition even against the chaotic carpet of the starry background. This is one of those little-known objects that can make you wonder why it isn’t more popular. 
20-inch Dob

Melotte 111
Coma Berenices is largely comprised of a single open cluster – Mel 111. The cluster's triangular shape lends visual continuity to the name of the constellation – which means “Berenice’s hair”. Mel 111 covers almost 4 degrees of sky, and cannot be viewed well in most telescopes, but is a fine subject in finderscopes or binoculars, and through a very low-power eyepiece (a TeleVue Pronto or TV-85 is ideal for a cluster of this size).
85mm refractor

But if you do use high power, you can look right through Mel 111, and out into intergalactic space. There you will find two nice galaxies - NGC 4494, (mag 9.7) and the superb and famous edge-on spiral, NGC 4565 (mag 9.4). They are part of the Coma-Virgo cluster region. (See them in our Galaxy Drawings).

The Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755).
One of the truly colorful views of the night sky. The Jewel Box is estimated to be only 7 million years old. The four brightest stars are supergiants. A very bright and showy cluster, and a great astrophotography subject.
11-inch SCT

M-29
Understated elegance. Like a clutch of pearls, M-29 is easy pickings for small and medium optics. This cluster would shine much brighter if not for an adjacent abundance of interstellar dust a thousand times thicker than normal. Along with M-37 and a few others, it tops our list of favorites. Do you see a similarity to the Pleiades?
6-inch refractor

NGC 6910 is visible in small telescopes. It's called the "Y" cluster (for obvious reasons). It's also called the "Rocking Horse Cluster" for reasons that are only apparent if you see it at a certain "tilt". The view gets more interesting with dark adaptation, as the background begins to fill in.
101mm refractor

M-35 contains up to 300 stars, and is an excellent object for any small telescope. Particularly nice in a 6 or 8-inch at low power. Although the center areas seems to be vacant, with very little "fill-in" condensation to pack the voids of blackness, this cluster is nonetheless a beautiful example of what's available to smaller and more modest instruments. Robert Burnham Jr. wrote in his Celestial Handbook: 
"... curving rows of glittering lamps on a chain... fainter stars form a sparkling background with an orange star near the center." 
6-inch Newtonian

NGC 2158 often shows up in the same field of view as the more famous M-35 (½ degree southwest). But at a distance of almost 17,000 light years, it of course appears much dimmer and smaller, and can actually look like a comet. At high power, and with larger apertures, it can be fairly well resolved. 
20-inch Dob

NGC 2266 is 10,000 light years distant, and about a billion years old. Many of its stars have already evolved into red giants. Again, this image was rendered under high power, and with the aid of a very large telescope.
20-inch Dob

M-48
Messier discovered this cluster in 1771, and then promptly lost it. Apparently, he'd recorded its coordinates with a 5-degree error in declination. Caroline Herschel independently rediscovered it in 1783. Her brother William included it in his New General Catalog three years later (NGC-2548). There are about 80 stars here, and most are resolvable in small telescopes. To many observers the cluster generally looks like an arrowhead. It can also look like one of those ubiquitous longhorn cattle-skulls that litter the desert landscape in old western movies. A nice subject in any aperture.
8-inch Newtonian

Wow! The mother of all open clusters! NGC 6791 is the oldest open cluster known, at over 7 billion years. Its exact age is not yet fully agreed upon. As open clusters go, it is one of the most massive; it includes at least 17 variables; and its population contains a high level of metallicity. Naturally, the bigger the aperture the more it is resolved. There are some orange giants in the field. Extremely interesting, and quite stunning. 
20-inch Dob

By most accounts, M-50 is unremarkable, and not too thrilling from urban locations. It does quite well however, against a dark sky. There are some red and orange giants around, but most of them aren't part of the group. This is a great subject for CCD work! The cluster is shaped like a house or a heart. You decide.
10-inch SCT

NGC 2244 is a cluster of about 40 stars, situated in the center of its birthplace - the Rosette Nebula. This nebula is a super-massive cloud of gas and dust, (130 light years in diameter) that contains the equivalent mass of about 10,000 Suns. At a distance of 5,500 light years, it still accounts for a full degree of sky, which is about twice the apparent size of the full moon. Because of its low surface brightness, it can be difficult to see from urban locations. However, it presents itself quite well at a dark site, rendering a breathtaking image that can rival almost anything else in the Winter sky. UHC, Ultrablock, and OIII filters can enhance the nebulosity to a great degree. Some observers even stack them together. This is how it can look from a very dark site without a filter.
8-inch Newtonian

One of the brighter stars is 12 Monocerotis, a yellow super giant about 5,000 light years closer to us, and is therefore not part of the population.
(For a better look at the Rosette see our Nebula Drawings).

NGC 2301 is an esoteric favorite among veteran observers. It's easily located in finder scopes, and best viewed at low power with a widefield eyepiece. This cluster spans about 16 arc minutes, and delivers a really nice image in binoculars and small telescopes. About 60 to 70 stars. Many descriptions account for a bright orange star near the center. At really dark sites, the background condenses into a stellar carpet.
101mm refractor

Theta¹ (q¹) Orionis, [The Trapezium] is possibly the most studied of all multiple star systems, and arguably the most visually provocative. It is certainly situated in the right spot for all the attention - right in the core of the Great Orion Nebula. This small group is actually part of a massive cluster consisting of about a thousand stars. Most are hidden from view by a vast amount of nebulosity and dust. When photographed in infrared, they present a sobering vista. These are some of the youngest stars in our galactic vicinity, at an age of only a million years or so. Our Solar System is 4,000 times older.
6-inch refractor
(For a better look at M-42 see our Nebula Drawings).

NGC 1981 is the fuzzy patch that makes the handle of Orion's sword. It's composed of about a dozen icy-blue stars that are very young and very hot. It can be seen well in binoculars and finderscopes, and at darker sites it is visible to the naked eye. This neglected cluster makes a startling image in almost any telescope.
5-inch refractor

Yep, it really looks like this! NGC 2169 is called the “37” cluster or the “XY” cluster. Some observers see the outline of a shopping cart. As you’d expect, Orion is loaded with double stars and clusters. This particular cluster is the home of Struve 848, a multiple star system containing 5 bright suns which are easily resolved.
5-inch refractor

M-34 is simple but interesting. It appears to be comprised almost exclusively of double stars. Though that's not the case, the central star is h1123, a double from which all the other members seem to be emanating. Not much color, but nice in small scopes, or at low power.
85mm refractor

Melotte 20 is referred to as the Alpha Persei Association, because the stars in this group were once thought to be unrelated. However, this is in fact a large cluster, with a span of over 2½ degrees. Alpha Persei (visible to the naked eye) is the brightest star in the group, and usually displays a wheat-color in telescopes. This cluster resides in the same neighborhood as the California Nebula. Best viewed with binoculars or a richfield scope. About 120 stars.
101mm refractor

NGC 869 & 884 - double cluster
Wow! These two clusters are a thrilling sight in a rich-field format. To the naked eye, they appear as fuzzy patches between Perseus and Cassiopeia. In a 5-inch or larger aperture, with a wide-field eyepiece, they can offer the observer a colorful, 3D “spacewalk”. Included in the field of view at no extra charge are several stars of brilliant color (lots of red-orange). As your dark-adaptation increases, and as the Milky Way condenses into a spangled background, the image becomes more and more spectacular. Very high on our goosebump list. This image was rendered over time, with a borrowed 22mm Nagler, and a Meade Ultrawide. 
101mm refractor

NGC 1245 is accessible with small and medium telescopes, and is one of the best astrophoto subjects we know of. There are several bright orange stars, and a brilliant red one. The two brightest stars to the east (left) are foreground field stars. One is a rich blue color.
8-inch Newtonian

M-46 can be a momentary show-stopper. There's a planetary nebula (NGC 2438) conveniently perched in the field of view. Although it isn't a member of the cluster's population, the combination presents one of the most interesting views in the night sky.
10inch SCT

The planetary is visible in 8-inch scopes from dark sites, but the central star (at 17th magnitude) will only show itself in much larger apertures. The total population of M-46 is about 190 stars. A colorful subject for astrophotography, as the planetary glows a brilliant red.
10-inch SCT

M-47 contains a few 5th & 6th magnitude stars which are resolvable with the naked eye at darker sites. There are two or three orange stars in the field. We're not certain if they're part of the population. About 120 stars.
8-inch Newtonian

M-93 makes a striking image. Like a handful of bright gems against a background of slightly dimmer ones. The combination can be mesmerizing. If you have the right optics, you're in for a "spacewalk" experience. 
8-inch Newtonian

NGC 2451 and 2477 - double cluster
Wow! These two clusters are located just 1½ degrees apart. With 2451 dominating the field of view, 2477 can take on the appearance of a loose globular (it's the fainter, more distant cluster to the lower left). On its own, at higher power, 2477 becomes a breathtaking field of sparkles and light - there are over 300 stars here. This image was rendered with a richfield refractor and a low-power widefield eyepiece. The two make a nice image in binoculars and finderscopes. 
101mm refractor

NGC 2477:
This is one of the most spectacular open clusters in the southern winter sky. Situated about 2½ degrees northwest of Zeta Puppis, the cluster spans the size of the full moon and contains stars ranging from 10th to 14th magnitude. It lies some 4,000 light years distant and has been estimated to be nearly 1.3 billion years old. In binoculars or under low telescopic power it's a beautiful fuzzy patch - like a tattered cotton ball. Resolution increases dramatically with aperture size. At higher power it assumes an odd shape, like a falling clutch of jewels, with lighter strands trailing in its sparkling wake. Shapley, in his book Star Clusters.calls it "...either the richest of galactic clusters, or the loosest of globulars."
20-inch Dob

M-18 lives in a tough neighborhood. It's situated between the Omega Nebula and the carpet of stars at M-24. Maybe that's why it gets no respect. But take a look. What's not to like? There are blue, yellow and orange stars here. A good subject for astrophotography. About 25 to 30 stars.
8-inch Newtonian

M-21
In larger apertures, a dozen or so stars appear to form an almost perfect circle, lending a diamond ring appearance to this cluster. Trumpler classified M21 as I-3-p (poor, or under 50 stars). In 1953 it was shown to contain 57 stars, which reclassifies it as I-3-r (richly populated with a strong concentration at its center). The brightest stars here are giants of spectral type B0 (very hot!). This implies that this cluster is very young (about 4½  million years). It is part of the Sagittarius OB1 stellar association. 
8-inch Newtonian

M-23 can be a magnificent sight in instruments of all apertures including binoculars. It contains at least 150 stars, most of which are between 10th and 13th magnitude. At low power, it can be found hiding in a notch in the frenzied carpet of the Milky Way. All the way up to medium power a bright 6.5 mag foreground star can remain in the field of view. Prolonged observing sessions and dark adaptation have brought about the perception of dragonflies, spiders, and O'Meara's bats.
7-inch Mak-Newt

Although easy pickings in even the smallest telescopes, M-25 has only achieved an IC number. John Herschel didn't include it in his General Catalog (although it had been observed by de Cheseaux and Messier prior to 1764). It was finally added to the second Index Catalog in 1908. Two class M and a pair of class G giants reside in the field of view. The G’s appear to belong to the population, where the M’s are merely field stars. M-25 contains the Cepheid variable U Sagittarii, which places the cluster's age at about 90 million years. There are between 80 and 100 stars here. In a 10-inch aperture, with a borrowed 35mm Panoptic, the cluster is completely resolved and fills the entire field of view. M-25 appears to be split in half by a dark nebula.
10-inch SCT

NGC 6530
An open cluster in M-8 (the Lagoon Nebula). What could be better? The surrounding nebulosity is obtainable with a UHC or Ultrablock filter. On really clear nights there is a considerable amount. There are several dozen hot young stars here.
11-inch SCT
(For a better look at M-8 see our Nebula Drawings).

The brilliant expanse of sky that represents the glow of the galactic hub is where you'll find the two stars that make up the scorpion's stinger. The "Butterfly Cluster" (M-6) lies in this area, and is visible to the naked eye. It's comprised of about 325 stars, one of which is BM Scorpii, a semi-regular orange variable that shines at magnitude 5.5 at maximum. M-7 is also in this area.
8-inch Newtonian

Covering a full degree of sky, M-7 was known by Ptolemy in 130 AD. At 3rd magnitude, it is visible unaided at southerly dark locations. It never really got the credit or credence it deserves though (even from Messier). As a result, modern amateurs tend to ignore it. But this cluster is really a sight to behold in moderate apertures. M-7 is approximately 200 million years old, and some of its more massive suns are displaying the geriatric signs of evolution – some golden-orange giants dot the cluster's landscape, and they make for a very nice image against the Milky Way background. About 80 stars.
101mm refractor

There's no color here to speak of, but NGC 6231 owns a solid place among our favorites. It lies where the scorpion's body joins the tail. It is a cluster of intense light that rivals even the Pleiades in brightness. In fact, if it were as close, it would outshine the Pleiades by several magnitudes (its brighter stars each comparable to Sirius). This is pure beauty in the eyepiece. In the words of Robert Burnham Jr., "Like a handful of diamonds on black velvet".
7-inch Mak-Newt

M-11 is also called the "Wild Duck Cluster" since Admiral Smyth noted the presence of a well-defined V-shape, like a flock of wild ducks. Hmmm. Sorry, but we've always had trouble with that. Stephen James O'Meara thinks it looks more like a tick. At any rate, this is about as good as it gets as far as open clusters are concerned. There are estimates of up to 3,000 stars here, with as many as 600 at brighter than 14th magnitude. The surroundings are first rate. When you get over the impact of M-11, take a tour around the neighborhood with a widefield eyepiece! 
11-inch SCT

In medium apertures M-26 is easy to miss. It's a faint glow in a 5-inch refractor at low power. But if you pump up the volume, you'll see a nice image of a fairly rich cluster. There appears to be an area of total and complete extinction (roughly in the shape of a figure-8) in the center of this cluster. Since absolutely nothing shows through it from the Milky Way background, we assume it to be a dark nebula.
7-inch Mak Newt

The star cluster M16 was actually discovered by de Cheseaux in 1745. Almost 20 years later, Messier noticed that these stars were surrounded by “a faint glow”. Modern astronomy refers to that glow as the “Eagle Nebula”. The two objects however, though considered synonymous, are somewhat estranged in their catalogs. William & John Herschel omitted the nebula from their directory because they never saw it. Thus, the star cluster alone is given the listing NGC-6611, while the famous nebula that gave them birth is recognized only as IC-4703. Referring to both as “Messier number 16”, although arcane, is entirely logical.
Large Alvan Clark refractor

This cluster was hatched five and a half million years ago, from a gaseous dusty amalgam, almost 7,000 light years distant. The high-energy radiation of the group’s massive hot, young stars (spectral type O6) causes the nebula to glow under their influence. This is one of the most photographed and studied regions in our known universe.
(For a better look at the Eagle Nebula see our Nebula Drawings).

The Hyades – the Face of The Bull.
The bright orange Alpha-star of Taurus rides proudly along in the field of view with the Hyades cluster. The star appears to follow the Pleiades cluster across the sky. In fact, its Arabic name (Aldebaran) means "the Follower". Since ancient times, it’s been perceived as the Eye of The Bull. Although it’s not part of the population, it is prominently featured in the glittering expanse of the Hyades, (it lies in the foreground at about one third the cluster’s distance). Aldebaran is an orange giant in the advanced stages of its evolution. Recent observations of a “wobble” suggest that it possesses either a massive planet (11 times the size of Jupiter) or a lifeless sub-stellar companion (a brown dwarf). A great subject in binoculars and finderscopes.
TeleVue Pronto

The Hyades cluster is far too extensive for most telescopes to gather in one view. An exception is the TeleVue Pronto equipped with a 55mm Plossl. This strange-looking combination yields a field of view that spans 5½ degrees of sky, (or 11 moon diameters) and yields extremely high-contrast images. At a dark site it can render a breathtaking "spacewalk" experience. 

M-45 – [the Pleiades – Subaru – the Seven Sisters].
Perhaps the most renowned open cluster in the northern sky. Certainly the brightest! And big! The main group (visible to the naked eye) is shaped somewhat like a “mini-dipper”. It’s almost impossible to get it all in one field of view. The widest views we’ve seen managed is with a finderscope, or with a TeleVue-85 or 101 and a Nagler the size of a hand grenade. The characteristic brightness level of this object is almost overwhelming. When viewing it, be sure to give your dark adaptation a goodbye kiss. The nebulosity that surrounds these stars is fleeting in the eyepiece, even under ideal conditions. Yet all but the poorest astrophotos of this cluster are stunning displays of a sapphire arrogance. We show it here as it looks at a dark site, with widefield optics.
85mm refractor

You decide: What does it look like?
We’ve long had the notion that the Pleiades cluster closely resembles another object of equally exalted status. As an experiment, we converted a picture of M-45 to black and white, shrunk it down to a one-inch square, and showed it to scores of amateur astronomers. When asked to quickly identify the object, the vast majority responded,
  "The Trapezium".
Hmmm. Interesting.
(AAO photograph of M-45 converted to black & white).

With few exceptions, (notably Alpha and Eta Ursae Majoris) most of the stars making up the Big Dipper show a common proper motion – a property typically demonstrated by members of a physically associated group. In the case of Ursa Major, the motion is to the east and south, towards a point of convergence in eastern Sagittarius. The group’s 18 by 30 light year area is centered about 75 light years away, and covers an enormous portion of the sky. For instance, Alpha Coronae Borealis is 30 degrees away from the group, and is still under the influence of the Ursa Major Stream, which reaches out beyond a hundred light years from the cluster's center. Our Solar System is located in the outskirts but still within the influence of this stellar stream.

TheCoat Hanger - Collinder 399 - Brocchi's Cluster
Stephen O'Meara says this is one object that actually looks like what it's called. But for the most part The Coat Hanger is actually an asterism rather than a cluster. Many of its members have different (and even opposite) proper motions. We include it here because it's so popular, and easy pickings in binoculars and finderscopes. The group spans about 2 degrees. The rich stellar carpet of the Milky Way makes a great background. 
101mm refractor

Note that at the southeast end of the coat hanger's bar is the faint open cluster NGC 6802 (the dim nebulous object to the lower left).

This is a good object to test your scope AND your vision. NGC 6802 is a dim object - even in a 10-inch aperture. Much of it begins to resolve in a 13-inch. This is how it can look in a 24-inch Dob at a dark site. There are two double stars here that flank the cluster on the north end. We've been told they were each orange and white. As you can see, we couldn't bear that out. 
24-inch Dob