M45: Pleiades in Taurus

Imaged on 10/13/07

Scope: Takahashi FSQ106N
Mount: Losmandy G-11
Camera/Autoguider: SXV-H9c
Exposures: 55 minutes

Site: Palomar Mountain
Temp: 48 degrees, mild wind, excellent seeing

The cluster is dominated by hot blue stars, which have formed within the last 100 million years. The dust that forms the faint nebulosity around the brightest stars is thought to be unrelated dust clouds that the stars are currently passing through.

The cluster and nebulosity are 440 light years away.