Deep Sky Object in Winter
M45 (The Pleiades in Taurus)

Click on image to enlarge

Date & Time: Feb 10 2024, from 20:52 to 21:48 JST(+0900)
Composed 8 shots with 8 minutes exposed
Optical: TAKAHASHI 16cm(6.3") epsilon (f=530mm, F3.3)
with LPS-D1 Light-pollution suppression filter
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI JP Equatorial & SBIG STV
CMOS Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro (Cooled temp.: -25°C)
Location: Ooizumi, Hokuto city, Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Recording format...16bit FITS, converted to 16bit TIFF(6248×4176)
Device Size...23.5×15.7mm, Gain...100


M45 (Mel.22) / Open Cluster, type c, I 3 r n
R.A.03h 47m 0.0s (2000.0)
Dec.+24° 07' 00" (2000.0)
Apparent Size100'
Real Size27 light yrs.
# of Stars100
Magnitude1.4
Distance410 light yrs.
M45, The Pleiades is the most popular Open Cluster seen in the constellation of Taurus. We can see bright six or seven stars with naked eyes, and these seven go under the name "The Seven Sisters".
The Pleiades is one of the closest star clusters with 410 light-years away, we can detect as a size of about 2 degrees. It has a huge size, so binoculars are suitable for appreciating this attractive object rather than telescopes.
This cluster is visible easily, so it has various names from ancient times. For example, the cluster is called "Subaru" in Japan meaning of "bind" or "tie", this name can be found out in a Japanese ancient literary work, "Makurano-Soushi" in 10th century.

⇒ Jump to rendezvous of M45 with the Mars
⇒ Jump to rendezvous of M45 with the Venus
⇒ Jump to Great appraoch of M45 with the Venus (Apr 4, 2004)


M41
M46, M47

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