M37
Condensed Open Cluster in Auriga

 

            
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 The middle
            of a line of three open clusters in Auriga, and by far the best
            of the three. This rich open cluster spans 25 arc minutes, occupying
            nearly this full field here, and is bright at a whopping magnitude
            5.6. 150 stars are listed as cluster members in Megastar. The
            color variations of the stellar members is striking. With a background
            of hordes of blue super giants setting the stage, a score of
            yellow to orange K type super giants super impose themselves
            all across the clusters face. 

            
No other deep sky
            objects appear in this field to about 18th magnitude and the
            reason is clear when you look at the colors of the faint stars
            - all very yellow or reds from obscuring Milky Way dust. We are
            in fact right in the path of the "Zone of Avoidance"
            of galaxies in this field.

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
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