M45 The Pleaides (Wide Field)

(also "The 7 Sisters" or "Subaru Cluster")

M45 or The Pleaides is a beautiful open cluster that is naked eye visible during the fall and winter even from relatively light polluted skies. Under dark skies up to 7 of the brightest stars are visible to the eye, but under extremely good conditions people with exceptional eyesight report seing more. The size of the cluster makes it a target best viewed in binoculars or very wide field scopes. The stars are involved in nebulosity which becomes visible in sufficiently large scopes. This is a wider field shot than the other M45 image on my site and was taken with an Orion ED80 refractor and William Optics .8X focal reducer

Details:

Imaged on 9/15/2006 at 10:45 PM Central Time from Fordland, MO

Equipment:

Camera: Canon 300D (unmodified) at Prime Focus
Imaging Scope: 80mm F7.5 Orion ED Refractor w/WO .8X FR (480mm F6 effective FL)
Guide Scope: 120mm F5.0 Orion Refractor
Guiding: GuideDog software and SAC-7b camera and TechnoPlus LX200 emulator
Mount: Losmandy CG-11

Image Information:

5 Frames, 10 Minutes each @ ISO 800 + Avg of 5 Darks
No flat or bias frames
Captured with DSLR Control
Focused  and Processed with Images Plus 2.75