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| M46, An open cluster - this image cropped and reduced from the original photo |
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The cluster is very rich, with 150 stars of mag 10-13
and probably a total population of over 500. The brightest of these stars
are about 100 times more luminous than the Sun. This indicates an age of
about 300 million years. The members are scattered over an angular diameter
of about 27 arc seconds, corresponding to a linear extension of 30 light
years at the cluster's distance of 5,400 light years. As a special feature in this photograph, a planetary nebula (NGC 2438) appears within its borders. However this nebula is not a true member of the group because it comes from a star that was born billions of years before the stars of this cluster were created. |
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10"
F6.3 Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, (1600mm F.L.) Modified Canon
300D camera with Baader coma corrector and IR-UV filter, placed at the scopes prime focus |