M45 - Pleiades

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M45 - Pleiades "Seven Sisters"

This is an object that has caught man's attention from ancient times.  It is mentioned three times in the Bible (book of Job), by Hesiod in 1000 BC, Homer mentions it in his Odysseer.  Many people mistake it as the "Little Dipper".  It resembles a small dipper.  Modern observing methods have revealed that at least about 500 mostly faint stars belong to the Pleiades star cluster, spread over a 2 degree (four times the diameter of the Moon) field.  Their Japanese name is "Subaru", which was taken to christen the car of same name. Their Japanese name is "Subaru", which was taken to christen the car of same name.

Job 38:31-33

"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens?

Pleiades is composed of several bright stars.  Within this grouping is a reflection nebula.  The blue color haze over the stars is the effect of these bright stars reflecting their light off this nebula.  It is located about 380 light years from earth.

Date:  12-14-04

Telescope: 300mm Nikon Lense        Camera:ST8XE  

Mount: Astrophysics Goto 900. Camera and Lense was piggybacked onto the mount.

Exposure Time: BRGB 51min ;24min;24min;24min; RGB 2x2 bin  Blue filter as luminance.

Processing: Maxim, Adobe combined