Observation by Martin Butcher: M45 - Pleiades

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

Martin Butcher

Observed

2010 Nov 10 - 00:07

Uploaded

2021 Mar 26 - 16:42

Objects

The Pleiades (M45)

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Constellation

Taurus

Field centre

RA: 03^h46^m
Dec: +24°05'
Position angle: -1°40'

Field size

2°23' × 1°35'

Equipment

Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge.
LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled.
Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens
Telescope driven but unguided
Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4
Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.

Exposure

One hundred and one sub-exposures each of 60 seconds taken at ISO1600.

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

M45 - The Pleiades

Title

M45 - Pleiades

About this image

M45, The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters , is an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus.

Equipment used:- Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens mounted piggy-back on Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge. Telescope polar aligned. LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled. Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens and operating. Telescope driven but unguided. Telescope and camera on Mains Power.

Exposure details:- One hundred and one sub-exposures each of 60 seconds taken at ISO1600. Ambient temperature minus 2 degrees Celsius at the beginning reducing to minus 3 degrees Celsius at the end.

Processing details:- After quality control 83 sub-exposures calibrated with Dark, Flat-field and Bias master frames and combined in Images Plus. This image was then further processed in Photoshop CS3 and Noise Ninja. North is at the top. Image cropped to give field of view of 3.5 degrees x 2.4 degrees.

Narrative description:- Twenty four days after New Moon; the Moon rose above the distant clouds at about 0100. The weather was cold, calm and generally clear with clouds all round on the horizon. There was very heavy dew and mist formed over the valley just below my house.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherM45.jpg (189.5 kB)

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Simon Paul Davis

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