Higher-resolution versions:  1280 x 1024  1680 x 1050  3957 x 2490

M45 - The Pleiades
Object Type: Open cluster, reflection nebula
Constellation: Taurus
Magnitude: 1.6
Size: 110'

The Pleiades, commonly known as the "Seven Sisters," are 375 light-years distant and estimated to be 100 million years old. Visible in this image is the blue reflection nebula associated with the brighter members of the cluster. This nebulosity can be detected visually under good conditions. A common test of visual acuity and observing conditions is to identify the number of Pleiads visible to the naked eye. Most observers under reasonably good conditions can identify at least six, while some keen-eyed observers have claimed to have identified as many as 16.  In the higher-resolution versions a tiny magnitude 17.9 edge-on spiral galaxy (UGC 2838) can be seen to the right of Electra, the bottom right star in the "bowl" of the "dipper" formed by the brightest stars of the Pleiades.

Equipment: Vixen 102-ED/STL-11000M/Astrodon LRGB filters/Losmandy G-11/Gemini
F-ratio: f/6.5
Exposures: LRGB: L 15 x 10 minutes: R 12 x 10 minutes: G 15 x 10 minutes: B 18 x 10 minutes: RGB binned 2x2
Date: November 5-6, 2010
Location: Borrego Springs, 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 was applied to the dim portions of the luminance and RGB images and Gaussian Blur was applied to the RGB image.