Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Coma Berenices (Com)  ·  Contains:  15 Com)  ·  The star 12 Com  ·  The star 13 Com  ·  The star 14 Com  ·  The star 16 Com  ·  The star 17 Com  ·  The star 9 Com  ·  The star Al Dafirah (γ Com
Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster), Chris Gifford
Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster)
Powered byPixInsight

Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster)

Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster), Chris Gifford
Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster)
Powered byPixInsight

Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster)

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

The Coma Star Cluster (also known as Melotte 111 or Collinder 256) is a small but nearby open cluster located in the constellation Coma Berenices. The cluster contains about 40 brighter stars (between magnitudes 5 and 10) with a common proper motion. The brighter stars of the cluster make out a distinctive "V" shape as seen when Coma Berenices is rising. The cluster used to represent the tail of Leo. However, in around 240 BC, Ptolemy III renamed it for the Egyptian queen Berenice's legendary sacrifice of her hair.

In 2022, I renamed it Maria's Star Cluster, in honor of Maria, one of the developers of Astro Photography Tool. Who cares what kings did 1000's of years ago!  LOL!  I returned to it this year to get a better framing and color distribution on the stars so make it easier to see the distinctive V of the cluster.

Thank you, Ivo and Maria, for bringing the community a fine tool.

Comments

Revisions

  • Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster), Chris Gifford
    Original
  • Final
    Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster), Chris Gifford
    B

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

Mel111 - Maria's Star Cluster (AKA - Coma Star Cluster), Chris Gifford

In these collections

All
Open Clusters