M 34

Image Description and Details : 

Messier 34 (also known as M34 or NGC 1039) is a large open cluster located in the constellation of Perseus. It was probably discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of comet-like objects in 1764. Messier described it as "A cluster of small stars a little below the parallel of γ (Andromedae). In an ordinary telescope of 3 feet one can distinguish the stars. "
M34 is 1500 light years away from us and includes stars of mass between 0.12 and 1 solar mass. It extends for about 35 'into the firmament, which translates into a real radius of 7.5 light years at the distance at which it is located. The cluster is barely visible to the naked eye in very dark conditions, well away from city lights and can be seen through binoculars when light pollution is low.
The age of this cluster is between that of the Pleiades (100 million years) and that of the Hyades (800 million years). In particular, the comparison between known stellar spectra and predicted values ​​from stellar evolutionary models suggest 200-250 million years.

Konus 200/1000 @960mm, F4.8
Qhy168c @-5 °C
Sky-Watcher Eq6r Pro Mount
SvBony UV/IR-cut filter 30x60" (gain 1, offset 35)
Kstars/ekos, APP, PixInsight, PS

Copyright: Massimo Di Fusco