Messier 38 (NGC 1912): A Starfish Floating in an Ocean of Sky

Messier 38, nicknamed the Starfish Cluster, is an open cluster in the constellation of Auriga. It is best viewed in late autumn through winter.

M38 is one of three impressive star clusters in Auriga. It’s a condensed cluster of mostly faint stars sitting in the Milky Way’s sea of stars, so it may be tougher to pick out than its two cousins (M36 and M37). Regardless, M38 is viewable from most suburban locations with a telescope and even binoculars.

My Observations

The Auriga constellation is rich with beautiful star clusters. Before studying the sites in Auriga with a telescope, observers should scan the region with binoculars. Even under light-polluted skies, binoculars can pull out M36, M37, and M38. This evening, I’m using a 20mm eyepiece on M38. The cluster fills up the eyepiece well. An “X’ shaped pattern of brighter stars spread across the view. One may even see this as spokes on a wheel as it appears several lines of brighter stars stretch out from a core.

Also viewed on January 22, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.: Tonight is an exceptional night of viewing. The skies are crystal clear without a hint of the high clouds I usually contend with during this time of year. The stars are bright and crisp.

Key Stats

Constellation	Auriga
Best Viewing	Winter
Visual Magnitude	+6.4
Absolute Magnitude	-4.3
Distance from Earth	4,600 ly
Diameter	26 ly
Apparent Size	3.3 arcmin
Milky Way Location	Perseus Arm
My Viewing Grade	B+

Historical Observations

September 25, 1764 observation by Charles Messier

“In the night of September 25 to 26, 1764, I have discovered a cluster of small stars in Auriga, near the star Sigma of that constellation, little distant from the two preceding clusters: this one is of square shape, & doesn’t contain any nebulosity, if one examines it with a good instrument: its extension may be 15 minutes of arc.”

Sources and Notes

M38 photo provided by Miguel Garcia licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Charles Messier Observations: SEDS Messier Database