The cluster has a Trumpler classification of I,2,r, which means that it is detached from the surrounding star field and has strong central concentration (I), it has a moderate range in brightness (2), and is richly populated (r), with 100 or more confirmed members. Atlas Image mosaic obtained as part of the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. The best time of year to observe it is during the autumn. The cluster lies only a degree south of the star 4 Cassiopeiae. The cluster can be located by extending the line from Schedar, Alpha Cassiopeiae, to Caph, Beta Cassiopeiae to the northwest about the same distance as that between the two stars. Messier 52 is very easy to find as it lies near Cassiopeia‘s prominent W asterism, formed by the constellation’s brightest stars. The cluster occupies an area just less than half of the size of the full Moon.
More stars are visible in 6-inch and larger instruments. 4-inch telescopes reveal a dense, compressed star cluster populated by many faint stars, with a shape resembling that of the letter V.
#Cassiopeia nebula Patch
In 10×50 binoculars, it appears as a hazy, nebulous patch of light. Messier 52 can easily be seen with binoculars. It has the designation NGC 7654 in the New General Catalogue. The cluster has an apparent magnitude of 6.9 and lies at an approximate distance of 4,600 light years from Earth. Messier 52 (M52) is a bright open cluster located in the northern constellation Cassiopeia.
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