M36 The Pinwheel Cluster
Magnitude: 6.3
Distance: Aprox: 4,100 light-years
Constellation: Auriga
Star Count: Aprox 60
Diameter: 14 light-years
The Pinwheel Cluster contains at least 60 stars and bears a resemblance to the more famous Pleiades cluster in the constellation Taurus. The two clusters have almost the same physical size and, like many members of the Pleiades cluster, many members of M36 are also rapid spinners. M36, however, is one of the most distant open clusters catalogued by Messier and about 10 times as far away as the Pleiades.
Messier 36 is one of the fainter open clusters in Messier’s catalogue, but it can easily be seen in binoculars and small telescopes. Binoculars will show a faint, fuzzy patch of light and small telescopes at low or medium powers will reveal just over a dozen brightest stars in the cluster, arranged in an X-type shape. 6-inch telescopes will resolve about 25 stars, while 12-inch instruments will reveal stars across the cluster.
The best time of year to observe M36 is during the winter months, when Auriga constellation is prominent in the night sky. The cluster is classified as Trumpler type I,3,m, which means that it is detached with strong central concentration (I), composed of both bright and faint stars, and medium rich, with 50 to 100 members.
Taken 12/30/17 in Toledo Ohio by Russell Kille on a CPC 1100 with Hyperstar @ F2 and ZWO ASI294MC Pro camera