Star clusters: globular and open
Posted by Wesley on
Messier 2 - a globular cluster (33% size)
Not content to just photograph planets, I tried my luck at catching glimpse of some of the Messier objects that came into the southern view. After trying various high ISO settings, it seemed that ISO 3200 is as far as I could push my A5000 for where I live before too much details were lost. And under this setting, Messier 2 and 11 came out looking fairly well.
Messier 11 - an open cluster (25% size)
Messier 2 is a globular cluster, as it is a group of stars that are tightly bound together in a bright round ('globe') shape. Meanwhile, Messier 11 (Wild Duck Cluster) is an open cluster, a more loosely packed group of stars that still stand out from the background. They seem to be very good examples for A5000 to shoot for their respective category. I've taken photos of several other Messier objects that are star clusters, but these looked the best.
Telescope: Celestron NexStar 6SE
Device: Sony A5000 (prime focus)
Settings: (1500mm) - ISO 3200 - 30s - (f/10)
Filters: None
Location: Naju, Korea
M2: 2015-09-19 23:08 - 09-20 00:14 KST (2 photos stacked)
M11: 2015-09-19 21:20-21:38 KST (2 photos stacked)
Defined tags for this entry: astronomy, Celestron NexStar 6SE, Messier 11, Messier 2, Sony A5000, star, telescope