2022 June 24-25 ~ M11, the Wild Duck Star cluster, in the Constellation Scutum

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Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

(285 km by road north of Toronto)

between 23.58 and 00.13 EDT

* Altitude of the cluster at time of exposures: 33-34°

 

* Total exposure time: 8 minutes

* 660 mm focal length telescope

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Description:

 

This large, pretty and bright open cluster of stars, at the lower right in this view, happens to lie in our line of sight in front of one of the brighter, star-dense arms of our Milky Way galaxy. It is a favourite observational target of northern hemisphere astronomers on summer evenings. More than 30,000 stars can be seen in this photo.

 

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@N06/52227785371

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Technical information:

 

Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 127is (127 mm - 5" - diameter) apochromatic telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount

 

Eight stacked subframes; each frame:

ISO 4000; 1 minute exposure at f/5.2, unguided

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes stacked in RegiStar;

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

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Done