The False Comet Cluster area of southern Scorpius, which includes the open cluster NGC 6231 and emission nebula IC 4628, and open cluster NGC 6242 at top. This is a superb binocular field. I shot this March 30/31, 2014 from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the Borg 77mm astrographic apo refractor (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 for a stack of 5 x 10 minutes exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800.
The complex region of NGC 6231 in the tail of Scorpius, with the brightest star cluster at lower right being NGC 6231 itself while the cluster at centre is NGC 6242. The nebula is IC 4628. The pair of bright stars at top are Mu 1 and 2 Scorpii. The colourful double star at bottom is Zeta 1 and 2 Scorpii. To the naked eye this area appears elongated and fuzzy, like a comet. It was mistaken for Comet Halley in 1986. This is a stack of 4 x 2-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2500. Tracked on the AP 400 mount.
The pair of large open clusters, NGC 6633 at right in Ophiuchus and IC 4756 at left in Serpens, in a wide-field image simulating the field of binoculars. Taken July 24, 2012, from home with the Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and Canon L-series 200mm lens at f/3.5 for a stack of 5 x 3 minute exposures. Also known as the S-O Double Cluster.
