M36
Splashy Open Cluster in Auriga

 

            
Select an image size for 
a larger view:

1290 x 960

1600 x 1200



            
 From an astro
            imagers point of view, this cluster offers a lot. Scores of brilliant
            blue suns are superimposed on a backdrop of dust yellowed background
            stars of the Winter Milkyway, with a few bright cluster members
            orange K super giants. The cluster is considered moderately rich,
            and spas at least 15 arc minutes across this half a degree wide
            field. At 6th magnitude, this cluster can be seen naked eye fairly
            easily from our dark Arizona sky sites along with its companions
            M37 and M38 nearby.

            
There did not seem
            to be any background galaxies in this field, no doubt the amount
            of galactic dust has blotted them out.

Optics:  12.5" f/5 Newtonian  - Lumicon Coma Corrector
Platform:  Astrophysics AP1200
Camera:  Hutech Modified Canon XTi @ ISO800
Exposure:  3 x 5m
Location:  Payson, Arizona
Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing  8/10, Transparency 8/10  
Outside Temperature:  35F
Processing Tools:  Photoshop CS2, Images Plus 3.82
HOME   GALAXIES     EMISSION NEBS     REFLECTION NEBS   COMETS  
   GLOBULARS     OPEN CLUST     PLANETARIES     LINKS