NGC 3293 The Gem Cluster located in the Carina constellation in the southern sky, the brighter stars in the middle are blue supergiant stars. Sky watcher Quattro 250P and QHY 183cPRO camera. 38 x 60 sec exposures . Taken 250223.

NGC 3293, 60 minutes of integration in SHO with Takahashi FSQ-106ED 106/382 f 3/6 telescope, QHY 600M Pro camera, are 12 shots, 4x300 seconds for each filter, processing with Pixinsight and Photoshop. All data and shots were captured with Telescope Live. NGC 3293 is a bright open cluster in the southern constellation of Carina. it is easily visible just northwest of the large Carina Nebula. This cluster is made up of about ninety stars with a very similar magnitude and particularly compact; the brightest are of eighth and ninth magnitude, while several tens are of tenth and eleventh magnitude. Its distance is estimated at 2327 parsecs (7590 light-years) from the Sun, within the Sagittarius Arm and therefore not far from the large complex of clouds forming the Eta Carinae Nebula; in fact, part of the clouds of this complex lap the cluster, which illuminates and excites them, thus becoming emission nebulae. In addition, the cluster itself would be physically linked to the other objects visible in the area, all related to the large association OB Carina OB1.

A further clue of its belonging to the nebulous complex is its age, estimated at just 10 million years; NGC 3293 contains a large number of blue supergiants, plus a red supergiant. According to some studies, it would seem that star formation in the region of the Carina Nebula began in its northwestern sector, therefore this cluster could be the result of the first formation phenomena that affected the nebulous region; following the formation of this and the nearby cluster IC 2581, the episodes of star formation would have moved progressively southeastwards, until they reached their current position, southeast of the Carina Nebula. According to another study dated 2003, star formation would still be active in the region surrounding the cluster, as evidenced by the presence of some pre-main sequence stars discovered here.

Image taken with a SkyWatcher 70mm SK707AZ2, using a super 25mm lens (28x)

Also avaliable at 70x: www.flickr.com/photos/100175216@N06/49786130593

It lies at Carina (The Keel) constellation. It is less commonly known as The Gem Cluster.

Afocal, with Xiaomi Redmi 7A.

Edited with MS Picture Manager.

Image taken with a SkyWatcher 70mm SK707AZ2, using a super 10mm lens (70x)

Also avaliable at 28x: www.flickr.com/photos/100175216@N06/49790653556

It lies at Carina (The Keel) constellation. It is less commonly known as The Gem Cluster.

Afocal, with Xiaomi Redmi 7A

Edited with MS Picture Manager.

✨ NGC 3293 - The Gem Cluster ✨

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Explore the beauty of NGC 3293, affectionately known as The Gem Cluster, an open cluster embedded within a vibrant region of nebulosity in the constellation Carina. This cosmic jewel is part of the southern Milky Way's stellar treasure trove.

🔭 Target: NGC 3293 (The Gem Cluster)

📍 Location: Constellation Carina, approximately 8,000 light-years away

🌟 Apparent Magnitude: ~4.7

📐 Apparent Size: ~6 arcminutes

About the Region:

NGC 3293 is a stellar nursery teeming with young, hot stars. Its striking colors stem from the surrounding gas ionized by energetic radiation from these newborn stars. Estimated to be only about 10 million years old, this cluster is a vivid reminder of the galaxy's ongoing star formation processes.

🎨 Processing Details:

This image showcases the interplay of glowing gas, dust, and brilliant starlight, revealing intricate details and depth in this spectacular celestial scene.

Lights: 30x300" Halpha, 29x300" OIII, 29x3002 SII

Instruments: Telescope Takahashi FSQ-106ED, Camera QHY 600M, Filters Astrodon Halpha, OIII, SII

Date: 19/05/2024

#NGC3293 #TheGemCluster #Carina #Astrophotography #DeepSkyImaging