Canon 350D Hap Griffin Baader Mod
10x180sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Orion ED80 with WO 0.8 reducer/flattener vII

M38 (NGC 1912) - the leftmost (north in this view) and largest cluster in this field - is one of three bright Messier clusters in the constellation Auriga.

Lying at a distance of 4,200 light years, it is about 25 light years across, similar to the slightly more distant M37. It age is about 220 million years and contains a yellow giant of mag 7.9 and spectral type G0 as its brightest member - this corresponds to an absolute magnitude of -1.5, or a luminosity of 900 suns. For comparison, the Sun would appear as faint as only mag 15.3 from the distance of M38.

The smaller custer to the right of M38 is NGC 1907 which is 4500 light years from earth and contains aproximately 50 stars. this cluster is twice as old as M38 at 500 million years.

To the far right of the field is OC 118 and just a hint of bright nebula IC 417. At the bottom right of the field is cluster and nebula complex NGC 1931.

November 22, 2008