The Alpha Persei Cluster is a bright, scattered open cluster around the star Mirfak in Perseus, a group of young blue-white stars best seen in binoculars.
At a glance
| type | open star cluster |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 566 light-years (174 pc) |
| its light left it | 566 years ago |
| size in the piece | about 27 light-years acrossmodel |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with. Model marks a property of the piece’s galaxy model rather than a measurement.
About Alpha Persei Cluster
Around Mirfak, the brightest star of Perseus, lies a loose swarm of blue-white stars visible to the naked eye as a glow and resolved in binoculars. They share a common motion through space, the mark of stars born together, and Mirfak itself belongs to the group.
The cluster is young and close enough to spread over a wide patch of sky, which is why it was recognised as a moving group from the motions of its stars rather than spotted as a compact cluster. Its young stars are used, alongside the Pleiades, to follow how stars change in their early lives.
What you see in the piece
Fly to Mirfak and the cluster stays around it as a real group in space; the blue-white colour of its members marks them as hot.
Questions
How far away is the Alpha Persei Cluster?
The Alpha Persei Cluster is about 566 light-years (174 pc) from the Sun.
Is Mirfak part of the Alpha Persei Cluster?
Yes, Mirfak, the star Alpha Persei, moves with the cluster and gives it its name.