More than astrophotography, an astronomical exploration.
A closer look at The Pleiades
David Cruz · Astromidnight
In Taurus, the brightest stars of the Pleiades drift through a cloud of interstellar dust. The dust reflects their blue light and traces fine threads, while distant galaxies peek out from behind.
| Catalogue | Messier · M45 · Melotte 22 |
| Type | Open cluster and reflection nebula |
| Distance | ≈ 445 light-years |
| Field | 80.2′ × 53.2′ |
| Scale | 0.52″ / pixel |
| Orientation | −62° · north-west up |
| RA (centre) | 03h 47m 08s |
| DEC (centre) | +23° 54′ 07″ |
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Objects in field | M45 · NGC 1435 · NGC 1432 · IC 349 · 4 Pleiades stars · 1 quasar · 1 galaxy |
Distance to M45 according to NASA (≈ 445 light-years), consistent with the cluster's Gaia parallax (7.36 mas, SIMBAD, ≈ 443 light-years). Age from the lithium depletion boundary (Stauffer et al. 1998). Distance to LEDA 165375 calculated from its redshift (NED), with H0 = 70 km/s/Mpc; the distance to the quasar TXS 0344+235 is not published. No real width: the field mixes the cluster with far more distant galaxies (at the cluster's distance, the field would be about 10 × 7 light-years). The SIMBAD positions of NGC 1435 and NGC 1432 are approximate (extended nebulae); the rest come from SIMBAD. Maia, which lights up NGC 1432, lies just above the frame.
10 h 28 min of light
Each tick is a 240-second exposure. 157 in total, with the camera at −10 °C and gain 100. Calibrated with 50 darks, 50 flats and 50 bias. The Moon stayed below 75 % illumination throughout.
Carbon Newton 10' f/4
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Sky-Watcher CQ350 Pro
Askar M54 OAG · ZWO ASI120MM Mini
TS-Optics NEWTON Coma Corrector 1.0x (TSGPU)
Adobe Photoshop · Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight · Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)
São Pedro da Gafanhoeira, Évora · 358 m
Bortle 3