M67 - Just another open cluster?

[PhotoGav]

Following on from my recent image of M44, I nudged the scope south a few degrees to frame up another open cluster in Cancer - M67. I hadn't really planned to image this cluster, so haven't done much research on it. My little rummage around this evening has revealed that it is about 2600 light years away and is one of the most ancient clusters known. Most open clusters are found along or near the galactic plane, but M67 is so old (about 4 billion years), that it has migrated some 1500 light years away from the plane. It now resides out on the fringes of the Milky Way where there is little obscuring gas and dust. Consequently the cluster has been much studied. Anyway, enough of the science, here's the art...

 

 

Technical Details:

William Optics Star71, QSI 683-WSG8 with Baader 1.25" filters, HEQ5.

LRGB = 36 x 300s each
TOTAL = 12 hours

The sky has been a bit hazy over the three nights of data collection for this project, so the image was a tad rife with gradients. Thankfully APP's Light Pollution Removal tool and a bit of GradientXterminator in Photoshop seem to have pretty much tamed them. I am happy with the image overall and like the varied star colour and distribution. I hope you like this interesting little cluster too.

Clear skies to you all!

[Allinthehead]

That's another nice cluster.

[MarsG76]

Nice looking crisp result... great work.

 

[Davey-T]

Very nice Gav, lovely star colours.

Dave