Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Auriga (Aur)  ·  Contains:  M 36  ·  NGC 1960
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Messier 36, Jim Stevenson
Messier 36
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Messier 36

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Messier 36, Jim Stevenson
Messier 36
Powered byPixInsight

Messier 36

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Description

Messier 36
Open Cluster in the constellation Auriga

M36 is similar in age and size to the Pleiades cluster, and if it were at the same distance would appear just as bright and beautiful. It's ~4340 light years away, about ten times as far as the Pleiades. It's 22-25 million years old - very young, as evidenced by it's population of large blue stars. There are at least 178 stars identified as members of the cluster.

It was very cold last night - I think the low was 16F. For those of you wondering, I don't sit out with the telescope on a cold night while it's taking pictures, although I did spend some very cold nights like that in the past. I have gear and skills now that allow me to set it up quickly and then dash back inside and remote control it from the warm and cozy living room. Once it's cooking away I can go to sleep - it finishes up automatically.

Tech stuff: AT6RC telescope, ZWO ASI294MC-P camera, Orion Sirius mount, ZWO UV/IR cut filter. 140x60s exposures (2:20), processed with Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight and Photoshop. Captured 1/8/22 from my backyard in Rhinebeck, NY.

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