Open Clusters (Photos 51 – 75)
Click on the photo to see a larger image.
51. Melotte 71
Canary Two / 2020-10-02 / 04:36 / TC = II 1 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 Seconds) G (1 x 20 Seconds) B (1 x 20 Seconds)
The cluster is on the left edge of the frame. I had to severely crop the photo because, like others taken on the night of October 1 – October 2, it had severe blemishes that were hard to remove.
52. NGC 2439
Chile One / 2020-09-13 / 09.20.12 / TC = II 3 r
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
The bright star in the center of the frame is R Puppis.
53. NGC 2453
Chile One / 2020-09-13 / 09.25.03 / TC = I 3 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
54. Trumpler 9
Canary Two / 2020-10-03 / 05:49 / TC = II 2 p
L (1 x 50 seconds)
Another blemished photo, hence the Luminance only frame. There is a Y-shaped group of stars on the left, about two thirds of the way from the top. The cluster is in that mix of stars.
55. Messier 48
Chile One / 2020-03-31 / 02.11.03 / TC = I 3 r
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
56. Messier 44
Chile One / 2020-03-31 / 01.46.03 / TC = II 3 m n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
Note the strong nebulosity around the main stars. This cluster is called the Beehive or Praesepe.
57. Messier 67
Chile One / 2020-03-31 / 02.25.25 / TC = II 3 r
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds) to Grayscale
58. Dolidze 27
Chile One / 2020-09-14 / 00.20.08 / TC = IV 2 p
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
59. Trumpler 26
Chile One / 2020-09-18 / 01.04.58 / TC = II 1 m n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
The cluster is near the top of the photo. The bright star on the lower right is SAO 185417.
60. Collinder 333
Chile Two / 2020-08-23 / 02.25.34 / TC = II 2 m n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
The cluster is in the middle of the frame. The bright red star at its center is V483 Scorpii.
61. NGC 6383
Chile One / 2020-09-27 / 01.35.05/ TC = IV 3 p
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 Seconds) G (1 x 20 Seconds) B (1 x 20 Seconds)
The center of the cluster is made up of several double stars that you can make out if you zoom in on the photo.
62. Trumpler 27
Chile One / 2020-09-12 / 04.05.09 / TC = III 3 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
I had to target a star well outside of the cluster, SAO 209014. The cluster is on the lower left.
63. Trumpler 28
Chile One / 2020-09-13 / 01.50.00 / TC = II 2 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
I had to target a star well outside of the cluster, SAO 209030. The cluster is in the top half of the frame. Verified by a plate solve.
64. NGC 6416
Chile One / 2020-08-23 / 02.20.48 / TC = III 2 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
65. Collinder 347
Chile One / 2020-08-21 / 01.54.46 / TC = II 2 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds) to Grayscale
66. IC 4665
Canary One / 2020-08-23 / 23.43.09 / TC = III 2 m n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
Note the beautiful blue nebulosity on the most prominent stars.
67. Messier 7
Chile One / 2020-08-23 / 23.43.09 / TC = I 3 r n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
68. NGC 6520
Chile One / 2020-08-23 / 02.05.07 / TC = I 2 r n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
This photo, as well as the following photo, are among my very favorites in this program. The reason has little to do with the open clusters, however! Rather, I find the dark nebula — seen a nearly black, vacant spaces — to be oddly beautiful. Dark nebulae are the result of dust that is so dense that it blocks the light from stars that lie behind them. This is true for visible wavelengths of light. Light detectors in different spectra can apparently see what lies behind the dark nebulae. In NGC 6520 you can see a few stars peaking out from the main dark area. In the following photo, NGC 6530, you can also see stars shining (rather dully) in the rightmost dark nebula that winds through the two areas of red nebulosity. Imagine catching these photos with only 110 seconds of exposure!
69. NGC 6530
Chile One / 2020-09-20 / 00.11.58 / TC = II 2 m n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
70. Dolidze 9
Canary One / 2020-09-29 / 00:43 / TC = IV 3 p n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 Seconds) G (1 x 20 Seconds) B (1 x 20 Seconds)
I targeted SAO 49602, the bright star in the middle of the photo. It is near the center of the cluster. This section of the constellation Cygnus is filled with nebulosity, seen here in red. The darker areas are dust derived dark nebulosity.
71. Trumpler 32
Chile One / 2020-09-13 / 01.40.09 / TC = I 2 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
72. NGC 6604
Chile One / 2020-08-22 / 00.19.51 / TC = I 3 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds) to Grayscale
73. Trumpler 33
Chile One / 2020-09-13 / 01.45.03 / TC = II 2 p n
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
I targeted SAO 161436, the reddish star not far from the center of the frame. It lies near the center of the cluster.
74. NGC 6649
Chile One / 2020-08-22 / 00.30.08 / TC = I 3 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
75. Trumpler 35
Chile One / 2020-09-18 / 02.10.11 / TC = I 2 m
L (1 x 50 seconds) R (1 x 20 seconds) G (1 x 20 seconds) B (1 x 20 seconds)
This is an instance where I had to target a star outside the cluster. SAO 142554 is at the center of the frame. The cluster is to the right.
END of Page