Astral Imaging at Dogwood Ridge Observatory

Latitude: 37°48'51.0" N"
Longitude:78°23'41.0"W
Scottsville, Virginia 24590

 

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M37 - Open Cluster

Image Information

Quoted from SEDS: 
 

Discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654.

Although Messier 37 (M37, NGC 2099) is the brightest of the 3 open clusters in southern Auriga, this cluster was missed by Le Gentil when he rediscovered M36 and M38 in 1749, so that it was to Charles Messier to find this one independently on September 2, 1764. Generally unknown until 1984, all three clusters had been previously recorded by Hodierna before 1654.

M37 is the also the richest of the 3, containing about 150 stars brighter than mag 12.5, and perhaps a total of over 500 stars. As indicated by the fact that it has a considerable number (at least a dozen) of red giants, and that the hottest main sequence star is of spectral type B9V, this cluster is a more evolved group with an estimated age of about 300 million years. Its distance is given discordantly: Kenneth Glyn Jones gives 3,600 light years, the Sky Catalog 2000 has 4,400 while Götz gives about 4,100, Mallas 4,600, and Burnham 4,700 light years. Its apparent diameter of 24' corresponds to a linear extension of about 20 to 25 light years, according to which distance is taken. It was classified as of Trumpler type I,1,r or I,2,r.

 

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This image is compiled from 9 - 15 minute R, G, & B images and 6 -15 minute luminance.  A total of 8.75 hours of data was used for this image. All data was acquired using MaxImDl/CCD version 5 using ACP.   Images were reduced, De-Bloomed, average combined and saved in MaxImDl version 5.  Alignment was done using Registar. The master images were combined, registered and the color image created. Photoshop CS 4 was used for cleanup of blooms, curves, and  levels.  The image data was collected over Jan. 8 - 12, 2010.

Equipment and Location Information

Date Jan. 8 - 12, 2010
Location Dogwood Ridge Observatory
Optics OGS 12.5" RC
Mount Astro Physics AP1200GTO
Camera SBIG ST10XME
Filters Baader LRGB 1.25" mounted
Conditions Temperature middle  20s -  low 30s with very moderate  seeing. Transparency good to moderate.

    
  Last Modified :01/23/09 12:40 AM