Observation by MButcher: Auriga Trio

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

MButcher

Observed

2010 Oct 12 - 03:52

Uploaded

2021 Apr 03 - 16:10

Objects

The Starfish Cluster (M38)
M36
M37

Planetarium overlay

Enable overlay
Show stars
Label stars
Show deep sky objects
Label deep sky objects
Show constellation boundaries
Show constellation sticks
Show constellation labels
Show RA/Dec grid

Constellation

Auriga

Field centre

RA: 05^h40^m
Dec: +34°10'
Position angle: -1°30'

Field size

6°32' × 4°20'

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

Eleven sub-exposures each 3 minutes taken at ISO800.

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

M36, M37, M38.

Title

Auriga Trio

About this image

M38 is also known as NGC 1912 or Starfish Cluster, is an open cluster of stars in the constellation of Auriga

M36 is also known as NGC 1960, or Pinwheel Cluster is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Auriga

M37 is also known as NGC 2099, or January Salt-and-Pepper Cluster is the brightest and richest open cluster in the constellation Auriga.

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 polar aligned. Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens and operating. Telescope driven but unguided. Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.

Exposure details:- Eleven sub-exposures each 3 minutes taken at ISO800. Ambient temperature one degree Celsius.

Processing details:- After quality control 10 sub-exposures calibrated with Dark, Flat-field and Bias master frames before being combined in Images Plus. Image then further processed in Photoshop CS3 and Noise Ninja. North is at the top.

Narrative description:- Four days after New Moon, the Moon had set before imaging commenced. The weather was cool, calm and clear with very heavy dew. There was much mist in the valley just below my house. It took half an hour of constant adjustments before I was content that I had all 3 loose clusters correctly framed in the field of view.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherNGC1912 or M38 & NGC1960 or M36 & NGC2099 or M37 & NGC1907.jpg (628.2 kB)

Like this image

Copyright of all images and other observations submitted to the BAA remains with the owner of the work. Reproduction of work by third parties is expressly forbidden without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting images to this online gallery, you grant the BAA permission to reproduce them in any of our publications.

Registered charity no. 210769
Registered company no. 117572

For more information including contact details, click here.

Our Terms of Use are here.

Our Privacy Policy is here.