M45, the Pleiades star cluster, is too large to fit into the field of view of my telescope and camera. However, this frame shows perhaps the most dramatic part of the cluster and its associated nebulosity.

The bright star near center is Merope and it is surrounded by the Merope Nebula. It consists of interstellar dust and some hydrogen that is illuminated by Merope. For years, it was thought that the nebulosity associated with M45 was left over from the star cluster’s formation. However, recent research indicates that the star cluster is passing through a preexisting region of interstellar dust and is merely illuminating it as it passes through. The bright star to the upper right is Electa and the bright star to upper left is Alcyone.

Exposures: L:R:G:B = 150:75:75:75 minutes =1 hour 15 minutes 6 hours, 25 minutes total exposure, completely unguided.