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Don Bouc Astrophotography
Distance: M 38-3,480 light years NGC 1907-4,500 light years
What is it?: M 38 is about 13 light years across and is about 290 million years old.
What is it?: M 38 is about 13 light years across and is about 290 million years old.
Distance: 6,120 light years
What is it?: This is the most compact of the open star clusters. It is about 316 million years old.
What is it?: This is the most compact of the open star clusters. It is about 316 million years old.
Distance: NGC 869-7,500 light years NGC 884-7,600 light years
What is it?: These two open clusters look to be about the same distance from us, but they are about 100 light years apart. They roughly the same age, about 14 million years sold.
What is it?: These two open clusters look to be about the same distance from us, but they are about 100 light years apart. They roughly the same age, about 14 million years sold.
Distance: 2,350 light years
What is it?: This cluster is sometimes called the Cone Nebula or the Stellar Snowflake Cluster. It contains an emission nebula, a reflection nebula, a dark nebula, and a star cluster. The stars in the cluster are relatively new...about 1-4 million years old.
I stitched together four images to get all the nebula and clusters in this final picture.
What is it?: This cluster is sometimes called the Cone Nebula or the Stellar Snowflake Cluster. It contains an emission nebula, a reflection nebula, a dark nebula, and a star cluster. The stars in the cluster are relatively new...about 1-4 million years old.
I stitched together four images to get all the nebula and clusters in this final picture.
Common Name: Pinwheel Cluster
Distance: 5,000 light years
Radius: 7 light years
What is it?: This cluster contains about 60 stars that are about 25 million years old. It is about 10 times further away than Pleiades, so it is one of the fainter open clusters.
Distance: 5,000 light years
Radius: 7 light years
What is it?: This cluster contains about 60 stars that are about 25 million years old. It is about 10 times further away than Pleiades, so it is one of the fainter open clusters.
Common Name: The Pleiades Cluster a.k.a. The Seven Sisters
Distance: 444 light years
What is it?: This cluster is contains middle-aged hot stars, most formed within the last 100 million years.
It is the nearest Messier DSO to the earth and the most obvious to the naked eye.
The gas clouds are just passing by and not related to the star formations.
Distance: 444 light years
What is it?: This cluster is contains middle-aged hot stars, most formed within the last 100 million years.
It is the nearest Messier DSO to the earth and the most obvious to the naked eye.
The gas clouds are just passing by and not related to the star formations.
Distance: 3,870 light years
Radius: 11 light years
What is it?: This image shows a good comparison between a loosely bound open cluster and tightly bound one. The central larger cluster is Messier 35, the smaller, tightly bound cluster to the upper right is NGC 2158. NGC 2158 is MUCH further...about 11,000 light years away.
Radius: 11 light years
What is it?: This image shows a good comparison between a loosely bound open cluster and tightly bound one. The central larger cluster is Messier 35, the smaller, tightly bound cluster to the upper right is NGC 2158. NGC 2158 is MUCH further...about 11,000 light years away.
Distance: 5,000 light years
Radius: 10 light years
What is it?: There is a lot going on in this picture. I put it in the category of open star cluster, but there are a other things going on. M 52 is the open cluster in the upper left. What is more often photographed, however, is NGC 76235 – the Bubble Nebula (upper middle). This bubble shape is caused by a massive star blowing all the gas and dust around into the structure you see with its solar wind. The small nebula, NGC 7538, located in the far middle right of this picture. This small nebula is still 300 times the size of our entire solar system.
Radius: 10 light years
What is it?: There is a lot going on in this picture. I put it in the category of open star cluster, but there are a other things going on. M 52 is the open cluster in the upper left. What is more often photographed, however, is NGC 76235 – the Bubble Nebula (upper middle). This bubble shape is caused by a massive star blowing all the gas and dust around into the structure you see with its solar wind. The small nebula, NGC 7538, located in the far middle right of this picture. This small nebula is still 300 times the size of our entire solar system.
Distance: 2,000 light years
Radius: 6.5 light years
What is it?: This small open cluster contains about 600 stars. Their age is about 90 million years.
Radius: 6.5 light years
What is it?: This small open cluster contains about 600 stars. Their age is about 90 million years.
Common Name: Little Beehive Cluster
Distance: 2,300 light years
Radius: 13 light years
What is it?: This cluster is about 200 million years old has about 100 stars. It is moving away from us at about 15 miles/second.
Distance: 2,300 light years
Radius: 13 light years
What is it?: This cluster is about 200 million years old has about 100 stars. It is moving away from us at about 15 miles/second.
Distance: 577 light years
Radius: 12.5 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 200 stars that’s about 625 million years old. As early as 2012, scientists have discovered 2 planets orbiting two separate stars.
Radius: 12.5 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 200 stars that’s about 625 million years old. As early as 2012, scientists have discovered 2 planets orbiting two separate stars.
Distance: 1,600 light years
Radius: 6 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 50 stars that are about 78 million years old. It is one of the least densely populated open cluster.
Radius: 6 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 50 stars that are about 78 million years old. It is one of the least densely populated open cluster.
Distance: 3,000 light years and 6,000 light years
What is it?: Both DSO’s in this picture are open star clusters, but NGC 7129 (lower middle right) has some remaining nebulosity surrounding it. In that cluster there are 130 stars less than 1 million years old. Open star cluster NGC 7142 (upper middle left) contains stars that are over 3 billion years. While these DSO’s appear close together, they are actually about 3,000 light years away from each other.
What is it?: Both DSO’s in this picture are open star clusters, but NGC 7129 (lower middle right) has some remaining nebulosity surrounding it. In that cluster there are 130 stars less than 1 million years old. Open star cluster NGC 7142 (upper middle left) contains stars that are over 3 billion years. While these DSO’s appear close together, they are actually about 3,000 light years away from each other.
Distance: 1,500 light years
Radius: 12 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 80 stars that are about 300 million years old.
Radius: 12 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 80 stars that are about 300 million years old.
Distance: 6,300 light years
What is it?: This open cluster is still producing stars. It currently has about 60.
The small hydrogen cloud in the lower center is Sh2-247.
Below is a link to let you "zoom into" the open star cluster.
What is it?: This open cluster is still producing stars. It currently has about 60.
The small hydrogen cloud in the lower center is Sh2-247.
Below is a link to let you "zoom into" the open star cluster.
Distance: 1,500 light years
Radius: 7 light years
What is it?: This very small open cluster contains only about 200 stars, but it is one of the closest Messier objects. These stars are about 240 million years old, which is very young for this type of DSO.
Radius: 7 light years
What is it?: This very small open cluster contains only about 200 stars, but it is one of the closest Messier objects. These stars are about 240 million years old, which is very young for this type of DSO.
Common Name: Heart-Shaped Cluster
Distance: 3,200 light years
Radius: 10 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 100 stars that are about 78 million years old.
Distance: 3,200 light years
Radius: 10 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 100 stars that are about 78 million years old.
Common Name: King Cobra Cluster
Distance: 2,700 light years
Radius: 10 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 500 stars that are about 4 billion years old.
Distance: 2,700 light years
Radius: 10 light years
What is it?: This open cluster contains about 500 stars that are about 4 billion years old.
Distance: 3,600 light years
Radius: 12 light years
What is it?: This cluster contains about 80 stars that are about 100 million years old.
Radius: 12 light years
What is it?: This cluster contains about 80 stars that are about 100 million years old.
Distance: 10,000 light years
Radius: 9 light years
What is it?: This cluster contains about 175 stars that are about 25 million years old.
Radius: 9 light years
What is it?: This cluster contains about 175 stars that are about 25 million years old.
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