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Can you see Constellation of Perseus and the Big Dipper (plough) in this poster?

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Can you see Constellation of Perseus and the Big Dipper (plough) in this poster?

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Hi Galena – There is no way that you would know what this represents unless you are an amateur astronomer – so there’s no reason to feel “thick” or ignorant. What is shown is a well known open cluster known as the Double Cluster in the constellation Perseus. The cluster actually falls between Perseus and Cassiopeia, where it can be seen with binoculars on any autumn or early winter night in the northern hemisphere. It can be found by first finding the “W” shape of Cassiopeia. If you take the left hand “V” in the “W” and extend it down and to the left, you will encounter the constellation Perseus. About halfway, you can easily find this asterism if you use binoculars. Since the cluster is pretty small compared to the constellations, this picture shows only the cluster and the region immediately surrounding it. To see all of either Perseus or Cassiopeia, the picture would have to include a much larger part of the sky. Hope this helps.

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