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