Open star clusters

It is estimated that there are over 1’100 open clusters in the Milky Way only. They are usually made of a few thousands stars of the same age that were formed from the same giant molecular cloud. They are bound by mutual gravitation influence but may be disrupted by close encounters with other clusters or clouds of gas.

The Pleiades (M45)

Skywatcher ED80; Nikon D750; Optolong L-pro; 75x90sec; ISO 800; Bortle 6; October 2021

The Hercule cluster (M13)

Skywatcher ED120; Nikon D750; Optolong L-pro; 300x60sec; ISO 800; Bortle 6; April 2022

Global cluster (M2)

Skywatcher ED80; Nikon D750; Optolong L-pro; 60x90sec; ISO 800; Bortle 6; October 2021