The main cluster in this image is Messier 35 or M35, also known as NGC 2168. It is a relatively close open cluster approximately 3,000 light-years away in Gemini. It contains many bright blue stars like many other open clusters which indicate that it is relatively young at 175 million years. My only other image of this wonderful cluster was an uninspiring image from January of 2016 (
https://astroquest1.smugmug.com/Messier-Objects/i-T7XcKk4/A). I only imaged it this time because I was waiting for my planned target to get above the trees - I am really glad I did. I don't know why I have been skipping these gorgeous objects, possibly because when I did it seven years ago it was plain looking.
I did not center this on M35 because I wanted to capture NGC 2158 located directly southwest in the lower right side of the image. NGC 2158 is also an open cluster, only much tighter. In addition it is much further at 11,000 light-years away and much older at two billion years.
It was such a pleasure to process something like this rather than a nebula or galaxy. These types of objects have another benefit in that they do not need super long exposure times and can be imaged with a little moonlight although this was done when it was moonless.
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