Messier 36 - The Pinwheel Cluster Astrophotography in Auriga
- Antoine & Dalia Grelin
- Sep 16
- 5 min read
Messier 36 is located in Auriga at a distance of about 4,100 light years away, making it one of the farthest open clusters in the Messier Catalog. M36 is found near two other open clusters, Messier 37 and Messier 38. With an apparent magnitude of 6.3, the cluster can be seen with binoculars or any small telescope.
Object Designation:Â M36, NGC 1960
Also known as:Â The Pinwheel Cluster
Constellation:Â Auriga
Object Type:Â Open Cluster
Distance: 4,100 light-years away
Magnitude:Â 6.3
Discovery:Â Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654
Messier 36 is also called the "Pinwheel Cluster". In the northern hemisphere, it is best observed and photographed in the Winter months.
Messier 36 Astrophotography with a Monochrome Camera
2025
I decided to image Messier 36 again but this time, with my monochrome camera setup. This allowed me to choose exactly which filters to use for the image, so that I am not limited to just the RGB colors.
The filters I chose were, of course, RGB, but also HA, in the hopes to show the Hydrogen Alpha gas present all over the background.
Below you can see what 10 hours of integration time in RGB+HA looks like. The stars in the cluster look great, but the most impressive part is of course all that Hydrogen Alpha gas everywhere!
Learn how to process your data like this with our PixInsight processing guides.
GEAR USED:
Camera:Â QHY600M Â
Telescope: Stellarvue SVX130
Mount:Â 10Micron GM1000 HPS
Accessories: Moonlite Nitecrawler focuser / Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox
Processing:Â Pixinsight with RC-Astro plugins, final touches in Skylum Luminar Neo
ACQUISITION DETAILS:
Total Exposure Time:Â 10 hours
Exposure Time per frame:Â 10 minutes
Filters: Chroma 3nm RGB+H Â
Gain:Â 56
Messier 36 Astrophotography with a Newtonian Reflector
December 2019
We imaged M36 as a secondary target after having spent three hours photographing the Pleiades. It was very humid that night (really strange for Nevada) and we weren't sure if we'd be able to get a good image of it.
We only spent one hour on this target, as we didn't want to image for too long in the humidity. You can see the final result below.
Messier 36 with the ASI 1600MM
GEAR USED:
Camera: ZWO ASI 1600mm Pro Mono
Telescope: Orion 8" Astrograph f/3.9
Mount: Atlas EQ-G motorized Mount
Guiding: ZWO ASI 290MM Mini
Acquisition: ZWO ASIAIR
Processing: Pixinsight
ACQUISITION DETAILS:
Total Exposure Time: 1 hour
Exposure Time per frame: 30 seconds
Filters: L (30 minutes) / R (10 minutes) / G (10 minutes) / B (10 minutes)
Gain: 75
How to Locate Messier 36
Messier 36 is located in Auriga, near several other deep sky objects such as the two clusters M37 and M38, as well as the Flaming Star Nebula, IC 405.
You can easily spot these targets using a pair of binoculars and aiming them toward the bright star Capella. Then, you just have to figure out which one you are actually looking at!
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Single Shot & Processing of Messier 36
With about 80% humidity and no dew heater or dew shield, we expected all our images to go to the trash. We imaged M45 right before for 3 hours, and by the time we slew to M36, our mirror looked pretty wet...
We almost decided to throw all the files away after doing a quick stack on PixInsight. The stars looked terrible. They did not look round and were fuzzy. We were able to salvage the files by drizzling using a x4 scale. The stars then looked much better and we decided to go ahead with the full processing.
We used four filters to capture M36 with our cooled monochrome camera: Luminance, Red, Green, and Blue. We have attached a single 3-minute shot of M36 below, taken with our Luminance filter.
The First Picture Ever Taken of Messier 36
Who was the first to photograph M36, and when?
The first ever picture of the M36 cluster was taken on February 8th, 1893 by Isaac Roberts. This is 132 years before our image!
Roberts used a 20" reflector telescope and his total integration time was 90 minutes. Below you can see a comparison shot between Isaac Roberts' image and ours.
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Messier 36 FAQ
How did the Pinwheel cluster get its name?
M36 got the nickname "Pinwheel cluster" because XXX
Which constellation is Messier 36 located in?
You can find M36 in the constellation Auriga, not far from M36 and M38.
How big is M36?
Messier 36 has a true diameter of about 14 light-years and an apparent size of 12 arc-minutes in the sky.
How far is Messier 36?
M36 lies approximately 4,100 light-years away from Earth.
How many stars are in M36?
This cluster contains around 60–100 stars, many of which are hot, young, blue stars less than 25 million years old.
When was the first picture of M36 taken?
The first astrophotography image of M36 was taken on February 8th, 1893 by Isaac Roberts.
How long should my exposure time be for this object?
M36 is an open cluster, with HA visible all around it. If you want to get it all in your final image, we recommend doing 30 to 60-second exposures for the stars, and 600-second exposures or more for the nebulosity.
Should I use a filter to image M36?
Messier 36 is a broadband target so it does not require a filter to shoot it. If you want the nebulosity as well, then you will need to use a hydrogen-alpha filter.
What equipment do I need to photograph Messier 36?
Being a small cluster, Messier 36 itself is best photographed with a large telescope. You can also capture it with a telescope of small to medium size if you want the gasses around it.
If you are looking for a beginner telescope that can do the job on this object, the Askar FRA600Â can be a nice option for the price.
When was M36 discovered?
M36 was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1764.
Final Thoughts
M36 is very similar to Messier 38 and is not a very popular object. We like to spend one or two extra hours at the end of our main imaging session on these small clusters before packing up and going up. That way we can add an extra "easy" target to our Messier Catalog!
Have you captured M36? Show us your image in the comments below!
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