M50

Open Cluster in the Constellation Monoceros

Open cluster Messier 50 (M50, NGC 2323) is a pretty and considerably bright object located in a rich part of stars and nebulae in constellation Monoceros, near its border to Canis Major.  This cluster was discovered on April 5, 1772 by Charles Messier, but possibly G.D. Cassini had already discovered it before 1711, according to a report by his son, Jacques Cassini, in his book of 1740, Elements of Astronomy.  Open cluster M50 is probably about 3,200 light years distant. Its angular diameter of about 15x20' therefore corresponds to a linear extension of about 20 light-years, the central dense part being only about 10' or 10 light-years in diameter.  (Text credit:  SEDS)

Image Details:

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  • Instrument: Stellarvue SV130EDT triplet apo refractor @ f/7 (900mm)
  • Mount: Astro Physics AP1200-GTO
  • Image Scale:  2.3 arc-seconds per pixel after processing
    Camera: SBIG ST-2000XM with CFW8 Color FilterWheel and AO-8 Adaptive Optics
    Filters & Exposure Times:
    • L:   4 x 5 minutes binned 1 x 1
    • R:  4 x 5 minutes binned 2 x 2
      G:   2 x 5 minutes binned 2 x 2
      B:   2 x 5 minutes binned 2 x 2 
    • Total equivalent unbinned exposure time of 1.7 hours
    Software:  Maxim DL/CCD, Adobe Photoshop CS2, RC Astro Gradient X-Terminator, Neat Image Pro
    Location:  C.A.A.S. East Observatory, Little Rock, AR., El. 650ft
    Date: January 17th, 2010

Wade Van Arsdale
Little Rock, AR., USA
January 19th, 2010