Sights for setting off

The first targets can all be seen with the naked eye under good conditions, but binoculars will bring out their beauty

1. The Christmas Tree Cluster, NGC 2264

Located a short distance above and left of Betelgeuse (Alpha (α) Orionis), this open star cluster is 2,200 lightyears away and spans about 25 lightyears. At mag. +4.0 it’s easy to see with the naked eye as a small smudge of light. It contains around 80 stars, and gets its nickname from the fact that observers think it resembles a Christmas tree when viewed through a telescope. The Cone Nebula is nearby, but is too faint to see without a large telescope.

2. The Shoe-Buckle Cluster, M35

One of the most popular star clusters in the northern sky, M35 can be found high above Orion, close to the foot of one of the Twins of Gemini, which explains its (little-used) nickname. At mag. +5.0, it’s a visually large object and on a clear night is easy to see with the naked eye as a misty patch above Orion.

M35 contains perhaps 500 stars, and the brightest hundred or so are a lovely sight through binoculars and small telescopes, looking like spilled salt grains. The cluster is approximately 35 lightyears across and lies 3,000 lightyears away from us.

3. M47

Often overlooked because of the bigger, brighter star clusters around it, M47 is a treat to observe on a frosty night. This loose cluster of around 50 stars can be found to the upper left of Sirius (Alpha (α) Canis Majoris) and covers an area of sky the same size as the Moon. At mag. +4.4 it is an easy naked-eye object if you take the time to look for it. M47 is 1,600 lightyears away from our Solar System.

4. The Little Beehive Cluster, M41

If this bright, mag. +4.5 open star cluster were anywhere else in the northern sky it would be much

Although faint at this time of year, the plane of the Milky Way, and the clusters within it, can be seen off the shoulder of Orion