M45, the Pleiades

- John Crilly (jrcrilly)

Description	:	Also known as the Seven Sisters, this large open cluster is an easy naked-eye object from even fairly light-polluted locations. Most observers can resolve at least 6 stars without optical aids; some can see up to 12 from a dark site. Being both large and bright, this cluster was well-known long before the invention of the astronomical telescope. The blue reflection nebulosity seen in this photo, however, is sufficiently dim to require binoculars or a telescope to be seen. This image is the result of seven exposures of 2 minutes each. It was captured using a Canon 300D DSLR and a Takahashi FSQ-106 refractor.
Credit	:	Captured December 26, 2007 at Urban Observatory