| Open Clusters NGC 1907 and M38 in Auriga |
Open Cluster M38, in the right center of this view, is one of the three famous clusters in Auriga (along with M36 and M37). Some describe its
100 stars as forming the shape of the Greek letter Pi. Lying at a distance of about 4,000 light years, this 200 million year-old cluster is still
dominated by young blue-white stars. Generally, blue-white stars are large and bright, and so burn out earlier than other, dimmer yellow stars.
Open Cluster NGC1907, to the upper left of the image, is slightly farther away than M38 at a distance of 4,500 light years. Its 30 stars appear
more tightly clustered at least in part because of this greater distance. With an age of 440 million years, fewer blue-white stars survive than in
M38.
This image combined 38 minutes exposures through a red filter with 36 minutes exposure through each of green and blue filters, for a total
exposure time of 110 minutes. An ST10XME camera was used through an AP 105mm refractor from my light polluted backyard. (I
previously had mistakenly labeled this image as aquired through a TEC140 mm refractor, which was used instead for my photos of
M37 and M38).
100 stars as forming the shape of the Greek letter Pi. Lying at a distance of about 4,000 light years, this 200 million year-old cluster is still
dominated by young blue-white stars. Generally, blue-white stars are large and bright, and so burn out earlier than other, dimmer yellow stars.
Open Cluster NGC1907, to the upper left of the image, is slightly farther away than M38 at a distance of 4,500 light years. Its 30 stars appear
more tightly clustered at least in part because of this greater distance. With an age of 440 million years, fewer blue-white stars survive than in
M38.
This image combined 38 minutes exposures through a red filter with 36 minutes exposure through each of green and blue filters, for a total
exposure time of 110 minutes. An ST10XME camera was used through an AP 105mm refractor from my light polluted backyard. (I
previously had mistakenly labeled this image as aquired through a TEC140 mm refractor, which was used instead for my photos of
M37 and M38).
Music:
Jack and Diane
Jack and Diane
