The Pleiades are really a treat when they start to enter back into the night sky this time of year. One of the most popularly known open star clusters, they are so bright that they are easily seen with unaided eyes from any type of light polluted skies, of course given it's clear outside. The main stars in this open cluster are referred to as the 'Seven Sisters' based on ancient Greek mythology, interestingly many claim that they can only make out 6 stars while others have said they can see as many as 20 from a dark sky spot with good eyesight. It is speculated that the 7th star could be the Pleione that is a shell star which varies in brightness so in the past it may have been brighter and easier to make out. If you would like to read more about the Pleiades check out this article from EarthSky which is where I got the info above:
http://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/pleiades-star-cluster-enjoys-worldwide-renownTechnical Info:
10x 600" @640ISO Lights
20x Darks
20x Bias
20x Flats
Camera: Canon 6D
Scope: Williams Optics Star 71 Astrograph
Mount: Advanced VX
Guide Scope: Orion Mag Mini With ZWO ASI 120MCS
Capture Software: Backyard EOS
Guide Software: PHD
Stacking Software: Deep Sky Stacker
Final Processing: PSCC
Location: Los Padres National Forest, CA
Comments