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Pinwheel Cluster (M36)
open cluster in Auriga
The Pinwheel Cluster is the smallest of the three bright Auriga open clusters. It is compact and tight, with bright blue stars, and sits about five degrees from M37 and M38. All three can be captured in a very wide frame.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M36
- Type
- open cluster
- Constellation
- Auriga
- Size
- 12′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 6
- Distance
- about 4,100 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Dec
- Typical prime months
- Sep to Feb
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Filter
- No filter (broadband)
Pick a saved location or share your device location. Your coordinates are used only to calculate tonight and are not stored. To save locations, use the planner.
How to image Pinwheel Cluster
- At 12 arcminutes, use 800 to 1,200 mm for a close-up.
- A very wide frame of 6 to 8 degrees can show all three Auriga clusters.
- High in the winter sky for northern observers.
Framing: what focal length?
M36 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 15% |
| 2,000 mm | about 30% |
| 3,000 mm | about 45% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M36 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 69° | High in the sky |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 79° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 89° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 81° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 21° | Stays low |
Also worth imaging
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