M45 blue in the sky
This image presents the Pleiades open star cluster (M45), located approximately 444 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. The total integration time is 7 hours, allowing the capture of the faint blue reflection nebulosity surrounding the hot, young B-type stars that dominate the cluster.
The data were acquired from Querétaro, Mexico, under stable atmospheric conditions. The long integration reveals subtle dust structures illuminated by starlight, emphasizing the interaction between the cluster and the surrounding interstellar medium rather than emission processes.
Equipment & Acquisition
* Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106ED (f/5, flat-field astrograph)
* Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 (cooled CMOS)
* Mount: SkyWatcher CQ350
* Control & Focusing: ASIAIR Plus + EAF
* Total Integration: 7 hours
* Calibration: Darks, flats, and bias frames applied
* Guiding: Yes
* Processing: PixInsight (linear workflow, background extraction, color calibration, noise reduction, and mild contrast enhancement)
Observatory: La Azotea de Orion
Braulio Guerra Urbiola
This image aims to preserve natural star color, accurate dust tones, and photometric balance, avoiding artificial saturation. The result highlights why M45 remains one of the most visually striking and scientifically interesting nearby open clusters, offering insight into dust–star interactions within our galactic neighborhood.