Open Cluster in Cassiopeia

Star-hop chart

Through a medium-size telescope at low magnification, the Owl Cluster looks something like the view in this picture. Two bright stars form the eyes of the owl, with its body (tilted in this picture) ending with four stars that form the owl's feet. Two curving chains of stars form the owl's outstretched wings. Some people call this the "ET Cluster" after the character in the movie.

Rolling the cursor over the image gives a brighter and more impressive view of this cluster, but it makes the owl shape harder to pick out from the many stars in the Miky Way background.

Image details:  15 images, each 60 seconds at ISO 1600, taken with a Canon 400D camera through a Meade 12” telescope at f/6.3. 

December 2008