I shot Messier 45 (M45) the Pleiades or “Seven Sisters” from Lake Mineral Wells State Park in Mineral Wells, TX. Using a Nikon D5100 working at ISO 800. This image was not guided. Only the mount was used for tracking. It’s amazing how much detail was captured with less than a hour of data using a f/5 APO refractor and DSLR.

This reflection nebula lit by the young stars making up the cluster in the Constellation Taurus is about 440 light-years distant. It’s been known since ancient times and is even mentioned in the Bible three times. It’s also the trademark of the Japanese auto maker Subaru. In fact, Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster.

Acquisition Details:
Date: Dec. 14, 2019
Scope: Meade Series 6000 70mm Quad APO Refractor
Camera: Nikon D5100 (ISO 800)
Mount: Celestron Advanced VX
Filter: None
Integration: 50 x 60s (50 min.)
Software: Astro Photography Tool, Deep Sky Stacker, Adobe Photoshop 2020, PhotoKemi Star Tools
20 Darks