2018 May 17 ~ The Southern Pleiades (IC 2602) & open cluster Mel 101
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Photographed 25 km east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, long. 134.04° E., lat. 23.76° S., between 02.45 and 03.03 CAST (Central Australian Standard Time)
* Altitude of centre of frame at time of exposures: 20°
* Temperature 10° C.
* Total exposure time: 8 minutes
* 540 mm focal length telescope
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Description:
NGC 2602 is a bright open cluster of about 74 stars in the constellation Carina that is referred to as the "Southern Pleiades". The cluster, which can easily be seen with the unaided eye, was discovered by Abbe Lacaille in 1751 from South Africa. It is a very close star cluster, lying only about 547 light years from our solar system, as compared with the even closer (444 light years) Pleiades (also call M45).
NGC 2602 is the third brightest open cluster in the sky, after the Pleiades and the nearby Hyades, both of which are in the northern constellation Taurus (The Bull).
Nearby (near the top and just left of centre in this image) lies the fainter Melotte 101 (also designated Collinder 227), an 8th magnitude cluster of some 70 stars that lies a staggering 6,500 light years from us.
This is the telescope and mount that I used for my astrophotography on this trip:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/28602350028
For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/42506618052
__________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 101is 101 mm (4") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Sky-Watcher HEQ5 equatorial mount
Eight stacked subframes - each frame:
ISO 2500; 1 minute exposure at f/5.4, 540 mm focal length, unguided (with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Subframes stacked in RegiStar;
Processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, masking of brightest stars)
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2018 May 17 ~ The Southern Pleiades (IC 2602) & open cluster Mel 101
****************************************************************************
Photographed 25 km east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, long. 134.04° E., lat. 23.76° S., between 02.45 and 03.03 CAST (Central Australian Standard Time)
* Altitude of centre of frame at time of exposures: 20°
* Temperature 10° C.
* Total exposure time: 8 minutes
* 540 mm focal length telescope
___________________________________________
Description:
NGC 2602 is a bright open cluster of about 74 stars in the constellation Carina that is referred to as the "Southern Pleiades". The cluster, which can easily be seen with the unaided eye, was discovered by Abbe Lacaille in 1751 from South Africa. It is a very close star cluster, lying only about 547 light years from our solar system, as compared with the even closer (444 light years) Pleiades (also call M45).
NGC 2602 is the third brightest open cluster in the sky, after the Pleiades and the nearby Hyades, both of which are in the northern constellation Taurus (The Bull).
Nearby (near the top and just left of centre in this image) lies the fainter Melotte 101 (also designated Collinder 227), an 8th magnitude cluster of some 70 stars that lies a staggering 6,500 light years from us.
This is the telescope and mount that I used for my astrophotography on this trip:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/28602350028
For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/42506618052
__________________________________________
Technical information:
Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 101is 101 mm (4") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Sky-Watcher HEQ5 equatorial mount
Eight stacked subframes - each frame:
ISO 2500; 1 minute exposure at f/5.4, 540 mm focal length, unguided (with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)
Subframes stacked in RegiStar;
Processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, masking of brightest stars)
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