Object: Open cluster MELOTTE 20 (Alpha Per cl.)  Constell: PER

RA: 03h 22.0m           Decl: +49° 00'          Epoch: 2000
Mag: 1.2m               Size: 185'              Type: III 3 m

Observer: Jere Kahanpää
Obs. place: Jyväskylä, Finland
Date/Time: 18./19.3.1993, 00.20

Telescope: 10x60 finderscope
Magn: 10x               Filter:
Field: 4°               NE Lim.mag: 5.4m
Background sky: 3       Seeing: 2 
Weather:                           


Brightness: 1           Alt:    
Description: A showpiece cluster with this scope! Beats the
Pleiades! The brightest star in the field is Alpha Per which is
lightly orange-hued. A chain of bright (5-7m) stars begins about
50' E of Alpha and twists first back towards the bright one. As
it reaches 30' S of Alpha it shaply turns eastward and continues
towards SE for over 2°. The chain forms a flattened S. About 20
stars are involved in the chain and about as many fainter
background stars fill the area. This is THE cluster for
binoculars north of dekl. 0° (My personal choice. Messier 45
comes 2nd, but very close)