The Hyades & The Pleiades

 

        Here are 2 of the largest and most enjoyed open star clusters of the Winter night sky.  The Hyades are to the left of this image and identified by the bright group of "V" shaped stars.  The brightest star to the upper left is Aldebaran, a member of the "Winter Circle" of stars.  The smaller open cluster to the right surrounded by beautiful blue reflection nebula is designated as Messier object number M45.

 
Optics Camera Film Exposure Mount/Guiding Scanning Processing Location Date
105mm f2.8 @ f4 Nikon F PPF 400

2 x 15 min.

10 min with diffusion filter

 G11 piggybacked on 10" SCT; unguided Minolta Scan Dual II Levels/Curves/linear gradient in PS7; Stacked in Registar; Grain reduction in Neat Image Inyokern, CA 1/24/04

Comments: Poor seeing.  Some thin high clouds coming and going.