M-44 is the final image from the night of April 19. It's hard to believe that Messier could have mistaken M-44 for a comet, since it's a huge (nearly 1.5 degrees in diameter) naked-eye object (3.7 visual magnitude) better suited to binocular than telescopic viewing. (Click on the image for a larger view.)
I previously noted that the Borg field of view is nearly 4 degrees across the long dimension. Thus the enormous size of M-44 is readily apparent. Professional astronomers believe that both the Hyades and the Beehive originated in an enormous nebular cloud, much like M-42, some 750 million years ago. M-44 is nearly 670 LY distant from the solar system.
Clear skies.
Max
Max
Image Acquisition and Processing Data
Camera control with ImagesPlus 2.82 using the Xti and Borg f/4 astrograph on the CG5 mount
Autoguiding with C102, PHD and Meade DSI
Camera control with ImagesPlus 2.82 using the Xti and Borg f/4 astrograph on the CG5 mount
Autoguiding with C102, PHD and Meade DSI
5 subs at 1 min/ISO1600(5 total minutes)
Eight darks at 1 min/ISO 1600
No bias or flats
Converted, calibrated, aligned, stacked, digitally developed in IP
Resized in PS CS2
Astronomy Tools star reduction action and increase star color action
Converted for the web in PS CS2
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