2016 Oct. 4 ~ M11, the Wild Duck Cluster in the constellation Scutum

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Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

(285 km by road north of Toronto)

between 21.22 and 21.40 EDT

* Altitude of the cluster at time of exposures: 29.5°

* Temperature 13° C.

 

* Total exposure time: 16 minutes

* 1200 mm focal length telescope

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Description:

 

This large, pretty and bright open cluster of stars - which happens to lie in our line of sight in front of one of the bright and star-dense arms of our Milky Way galaxy - is a favourite observational target of northern hemisphere astronomers on summer evenings.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

"The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters, containing about 2900 stars. Its age has been estimated to about 250 million years. Its name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could resemble a flying flock of ducks (or, from other angles, one swimming duck)."

 

For a wider angle view of Scutum and M11, made with a 740 mm focal length telescope in September 2016, click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/30487082573

 

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@N06/30507824983

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Nikon D810a camera body on Explore Scientific 152 mm (6") apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount

 

Sixteen stacked subframes; each frame:

ISO 6400; 1 minute exposure at f/8

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes stacked in RegiStar;

Processed in Photoshop CS6 (brightness, contrast, levels, colour balance)

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Done