M45 - The Pleiades
Wed Mar 29 2023
The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, are the most recognizable star cluster in the sky, a sparkling knot of blue stars in the constellation Taurus about 440 light-years away. The soft blue haze wrapping the brightest stars is not the cloud they were born in; it is an unrelated patch of dust the cluster is currently drifting through, scattering the starlight blue. This is a reprocess of my data using newer techniques.
About this object
- Type
- Open Cluster
- Constellation
- Taurus (the Bull)
- Distance
- ~444 light-years
- Also known as
- Seven Sisters, Pleiades
- Catalogue designations
- M 45
Acquisition
- Optolong L-Pro 2": 214 × 2m (7h 8m)
- Total integration: 7h 8m
Equipment
- Telescope / Lens: Astro-Tech AT72ED
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro
- Mount: Celestron Advanced VX
- Filters: Optolong L-Pro 2"
- Guiding scope: ZWO 30mm Mini Guider Scope
- Guiding camera: ZWO ASI224MC
- Software: Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight
Astrophotography by David Joyce, AstroDavido.