Observation by Martin Butcher: M44 - The Beehive Cluster ,

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

Martin Butcher

Observed

2010 Mar 07 - 21:34

Uploaded

2021 Apr 06 - 18:11

Objects

The Beehive Cluster (M44)

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Constellation

Cancer

Field centre

RA: 08^h40^m
Dec: +19°40'
Position angle: -1°26'

Field size

4°37' × 3°11'

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

Six sub-exposures each 5 minutes taken at ISO800

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

M44 - Open star cluster

Title

M44 - The Beehive Cluster ,

About this image

M44, also known as the Beehive Cluster. It is an open star cluster in the constellation Cancer.

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. LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled. Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens and operating. Telescope driven and manually guided. Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.

Exposure details:- Six sub-exposures each 5 minutes taken at ISO800. Ambient temperature minus one degree Celsius.

Processing details:- After quality control 4 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:- Twenty one days after New Moon, the Moon did not rise until after imaging was completed. The weather was cold, clear and calm with heavy dew.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherNGC2632 or M44.jpg (188.8 kB)

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