The open star cluster Messier 52 (NGC 7654) in Cassiopeia, shown from a 15-second V-band exposure (obtained an hour into morning twilight) with a Tektronix 2048x2048 CCD at the prime focus of the 4-meter Mayall telescope of Kitt Peak National Observatory. North is at the top and east to the left, for direct comparison with a chart or eyepiece view. The original 2048x2048-pixel format has been averaged down to 512x512 for this presentation. The field shown here is 14.3 arcminutes square. The cluster of bright stars is not as obvious as one would think, since the visual impression is hard to capture on a monitor across such a wide brightness range.
Last changes: 5/2001 © 2001