Astrophoto: Messier 45 by Stephen Mounioloux

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Stephen Mounioloux captured this photo of Messier 45 or the Pleiades on September 30, 2011 in Anza, California.

Messier 45 is a usual night sky view during winter in the Northern Hemisphere and during summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The cluster contains middle-aged hot B-type stars. It is also called Seven Sisters.

Here are some details on how Stephen came up with this photo.
Mount: Losmandy G11 Gemini 2
Imaging Telescope: AT65EDQ
Guiding Telescope: ST80 w/ SSAG
Camera: Canon 500D Baader modified and CP30T cooled
Data: 2 hours at ISO1600 (50% 300 s, 50% 600 s)
Calibration: Darks, Flats
Stacking: DSS
Processing: Photoshop CS5

Check out Stephen’s Flickr page for more photos.

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