Image of the Week

Image of the Week, April 8, 2019

Mars meets Pleiades, by Abhijit Patil

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Description

Mars passed near the seven sisters on March 30 – 31, 2019.

The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, are an open star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. They are at a distance of 444 Light Years away from the Earth (That’s near!).

They derive from the Greek mythology. The nine brightest stars of the Pleiades are named for the Seven Sisters: Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygeta, Celaeno, and Alcyone, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione.

The cluster is dominated by hot blue and luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Reflection nebulae around the brightest stars are considered likely to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium through which the stars are currently passing. This reflection nebula reflects the blue light of the stars. (description: Wikipedia)

Details:
Nikon D750, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8
iOptron Skyguider pro tracker
Light frames – 120 at f/3.2, ISO1600, 60sec, 200mm
Bias, flats and dark frames included for post.
Processed in DSS and PS

About the photographer

Abhijit Patil
Location: USA

Website, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr

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