Observation by Martin Butcher: M34 - Open cluster

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

Martin Butcher

Observed

2012 Jan 27 - 20:49

Uploaded

2021 Mar 31 - 20:03

Objects

The Spiral Cluster (M34)

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Constellation

Perseus

Field centre

RA: 02^h42^m
Dec: +42°46'
Position angle: -3°40'

Field size

3°25' × 2°16'

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 and camera powered by Mains Power.
Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4
Telescope driven but unguided

Exposure

Ten sub-exposures each 30 seconds long taken at ISO1600

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

M34

Title

M34 - Open cluster

About this image

M34 is a large and relatively near open cluster in Perseus.

Equipment used:- Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4 mounted piggy-back on Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge. Telescope only roughly polar aligned. LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled. Telescope driven but unguided. Telescope and camera powered by internal batteries.

Exposure details:- Ten sub-exposures each 30 seconds long taken at ISO1600. Ambient temperature minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Processing details:- After quality control 9 sub-exposures calibrated with Dark, Flat-field and Bias master frames before being combined in Images Plus. Image then further processed in Photoshop CS5 and Noise Ninja. North is at the top. Image cropped to give field of view of 4.8 degrees x 3.2 degrees.

Narrative description:- Five days after New Moon. The weather was cold, clear and calm with heavy dew.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherNGC1039 or M34.jpg (148.8 kB)

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