NGC 752 is an open star cluster in the constellation Andromeda. It’s best viewed in autumn and winter.
The cluster comprises around 100 widely scattered stars, with 60 fainter than magnitude 9. The object lies nearly 1,500 light-years away from us and spans the sky to the width of two full moons. If only the stars were bright enough to see with the naked eye!
Astronomers find the cluster fascinating because its star members are “evolving toward the typical pattern” of ancient globular clusters in the galaxy. In turn, this cluster is considered one of the oldest open clusters in our galaxy.1
Caroline Herschel first observed it on September 29, 1783.
My Observations
| Date | March 3, 2021 |
| Time | 7:50 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 85x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 24mm |
| Seeing | Average |
| Transparency | Average |
This cluster, while not spectacular, fits nicely in my 24mm eyepiece. It seems to me that there are at least a handful of optical doubles in this cluster. I’m glad I decided to check out this lesser-known cluster after studying the double 56 Andromeda, which is near.
Also observed on January 27, 2022, at 8:50 p.m.: Nothing to add to my previous observation, other than it looks good in a 32mm eyepiece.
Also observed on December 31, 2025, at 11:00 p.m.: With fireworks in the distance starting up to usher in the new year, I turn the Seestar to this cluster to get an updated photo for the top of the article. A great way to welcome 2026!
Photo: Wayne McGraw
Key Stats
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Best Viewing | Autumn |
| Visual Magnitude | +5.7 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -2.61 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,300 ly |
| Diameter | 32 ly |
| Apparent Size | 75 arcmin |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Arm |
| My Viewing Grade | B |
| Designations | Caldwell 28 |
Sources
Charles Messier and Herschel Observations: SEDS Messier Database
1 Burnham, R. (1978). Burnham’s Celestial Handbook: An Observer’s Guide to the universe beyond the solar system (Vol. 2). Dover Publications.
Boffin, H. M. J., Jerabkova, T., Beccari, G., & Wang, L. (2022). A tale of caution: the tails of NGC 752 are much longer than claimed. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 514, 3579B. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022MNRAS.514.3579B/abstract
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
The Garden Astronomer 
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