Open Star Cluster
Caldwell 95
in Triangulum Australe
| Magnitude: +5.1 | Diameter: 10 light years. | Distance: 2,500 light years. | Apparent size: 14 arc min |
Open star clusters are groups of stars, located within the disc of the galaxy, which were formed at approximately the same time, so they all have a similar age. NGC 6025 contains over a hundred stars, the brightest of which, MQ Trianguli Australis, has an apparent magnitude of +7.1.
This image was taken six weeks ago and is the last of my backlog of photographs. The weather has not been kind lately and it’s a full Moon now anyway, so I have had little opportunity to set up the scope. The last time I tried was nine days ago when I set up under clouds that were expected to clear by 9 pm. I was fully set up and primed for action.
Right on cue it RAINED.
| Exposure: 25 minutes | Field of View: 77.6 x 51.8 arcmin | Image date: 2021-06-12 |
After four weeks we are still in lock-down in Sydney and there is no sign of our covid delta virus outbreak going away. There were violent demonstrations in the CBD yesterday by smart-arse people demanding their freedom. What they got instead were $1000 fines and a free pass to the ICU:
Location of Lyra Constellation
Thanks for reading 🙃
Telescope & Imaging Details
| Telescope: | SkyWatcher Esprit 120 mm apochromatic 3-element refractor; 840 mm f/l @ f/7. |
| Optics: | Field flattener; ZWO duo narrowband Ha + [OIII] filter. |
| Mount & Guiding: | SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro mount; ZWO ASI120 guide camera. |
| Imaging camera: | ZWO ASI 071 MC cooled. |
| Software: | Control: Cartes du Ciel, ASCOM, EQMOD, PHD2. Imaging: SharpCap, Gimp. |
| Observatory: | 34° South. |
Images © Roger Powell
I’m one of the founder members of Macarthur Astronomical Society and current webmaster.
Cosmic Focus 
Your Covid cartoon is all too familiar. Some areas in the US are re-imposing mask mandates. We drove across several states in the past 2 weeks. Not many masks were being worn. We did wear ours even though we have our 2 shots. The neighboring state of Missouri has about the worst outbreak of Delta. We did not pass through there.
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You are very wise to keep wearing your masks.
This crisis is a long way from being over but we could beat covid convincingly if we were all of one mind and determined to do so. Thankfully there were no anti-vaxxers and libertarians when we controlled polio & diphtheria and eliminated smallpox.
The cartoon, of course, originated in your country.
🙃
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Nice image of the open star cluster, even if it is upside down! And we are of common thought about those who choose not to take the vaccines, …seemingly a mostly selfish, if not politically driven stance. M 😦
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Thanks, Marty.
To be honest I’m unsure whether it really is upside down or not!
I know your comment was jovial 😀.
The camera is cylindrical. It screws onto the telescope until it is tight and the chip inside could be at any angle, even in the home position. When the telescope slews to a target, it will rotate as it does so.
In reality, is anything upside down in this cosmos? 🙃
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Kind of reminds me of the Seven Sisters (I used to run in the early mornings wa-a-y back when, and they used to be a nice sight). At least I think that’s what they were . . . maybe they were seven brothers, I don’t know.
And, yes, people can’t seem to get their heads around the meaning of ‘pandemic’ . . . perhaps in their next lives.
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I usually just call them the Pleiades, then there are no arguments.
Yes, to an observant person they would have looked nice in a dark morning sky in the days before light pollution took a hold. An inquisitive person would have investigated the object. I’m glad you are that person.
I learnt some of the northern constellations in the same manner before I left England for pastures new and a different sky.
🙃
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Two words you never want to read in in astronomy blog:
“it rained”
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Sorry.
🙃
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