The Pleiades also known as the Seven Sisters and Messier 45, is an asterism of an open star cluster in the northwest of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the nearest Messier object to Earth, being the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky. It is is dominated by hot blue luminous stars (with reflection nebulae) that have formed within the last 100 million years.
FUN FACT: In Japan, the cluster is known as Subaru, and it was chosen as the brand name of Subaru automobiles to reflect the origins of the firm as the joining of five companies, and is depicted in the firm’s six-star logo.
Viewing Location – Joshua Tree National Park
- Lat/Lon: 33.74457,-115.81264
- Sky Magnitude: 21.84 magnitudes/square arcseconds
- Sky Luminance: 0.198 mcd/m2
- Bortle Scale: 3 (rural sky). Equal to a Sky Magnitude between 21.89–21.69.
Observation
- Catalog Designation: M45
- Celestial Coordinates: RA 03h 47m 24s | Dec +24° 07′ 00″
- Observation Duration: 1 night, 1157 x 10sec = 192.8 minutes
- CCD temperature in degrees Celsius: 17
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Surrounding Star Cluster
Here’s a map showing where my photograph of M45 fits in the larger stellar field.
Van,
You must be using a special camera for these photos! We never see the night sky
down here. It is amazing and it boggels the mind, with no end! So much we don’t know.
I have been a member of the Sierra Club for 25 years now. Spending camp out with
them has been so rewarding. Your pictures of Lake Perrus are really nice! You must
spend lots of time putting these trips together for everyone to see.