2025 July 21 ~ 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 23.45 and 00.01 EDT

* Altitude of the cluster at time of exposures: 40°

* Temperature 21° C.

 

* Total exposure time: 10 minutes

* 660 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 540 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@N06/54730082448

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Technical information:

 

Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 127is (127 mm - 5" - diameter) apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on a Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO SynScan mount

 

Ten stacked frames; each frame:

660 mm focal length

ISO 3200; 1 minute exposure at f/5.2; unguided

With long exposure noise reduction

 

Subframes registered and stacked in DeepSkyStacker;

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

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Done