Higher-resolution versions:  1280 x 1024  1680 x 1050  2170 x 1448

Object Type: Open cluster
Constellation: Canis Major
Magnitude: 4.5
Size: 38'

M41 can be seen with the naked eye in a dark sky and contains about 100 stars, including several red giants. Its age has been estimated to be roughly 200 million years, and it is located about 2,300 light-years from our solar system.

Equipment: Vixen 102-ED/ST-10XME/Astrodon LRGB filters/Paramount ME
F-ratio: f/6.5
Exposures: LRGB: L 10 x 3 minutes: R 10 x 3 minutes: G 10 x 3 minutes: B 10 x 3 minutes: RGB binned 2x2
Date: January 24, 2009
Location: Landers, California, USA
Technical Notes: Individual exposures were dithered using CCDAutoPilot2 and then sigma combined. The RGB image was created in Registar 1.0. Reduce Noise amd Gaussian Blur were applied to the RGB image.