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Open Cluster M41 in Canis Major
Four degrees below the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, the 100 stars of Open Cluster M41 fill the view of a wide-field telescopic eyepiece.  At a distance of 2300 light years, most of its stars are blue-white, but a few  red giant stars provide a variety of color both visually and photographically.  At an age of around 200 million years, it is a mature cluster, as most open clusters will eventually disperse due to interactions with other galactic stars and giant molecular clouds. 

This image combined 10 minutes of red, 8 minutes green and 12 minutes of blue exposures, all unbinned.  An ST10XME camera was used through a TEC140 refractor and an AP reducer at the Hidden Lake Observatory. 
Music:  Pictures at an Exhibition, by Mussorgsky