Messier 44, the Beehive star cluster in Cancer, in a wide-field shot showing it amid the quadrilateral of stars that surround it: Gamma Cancri (top left), Eta Cancri (top right), Theta Cancri (bottom right), and Delta Cancri (bottom left). Gamma and Delta are also known as Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis. This is a stack of 6 x 6 minute exposures with the SharpStar 76mm apo refractor with the EDPH field flattener for f/4.5 and with the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800. Diffraction spikes added for effect using Astronomy Tools actions.
Messier 44, the Beehive star cluster in Cancer, in a moonlit sky. This is a stack of 8 x 4-minute exposures through the SharpStar 140PH apo refractor at f/6.5 with no field flattener or reducer, and using the Canon EOS Ra camera with an Astronomik CLS light pollution clip-in filter. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions. So, yes, this was taken with a refractor but the spikes are added for artistic effect. RC Astro Gradient Xterminator and StarShrink filters also applied. While it would be possible to neutralize the sky colour I kept the blue moonlight, again for artistry.
A telephoto lens image of the open star cluster Messier 44 in Cancer, aka the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe. This is shot to simulate the field of view of binoculars for illustration purposes. This is a stack of 6 x 1-minute exposures with the 200mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800, tracked but unguided on the Mach 1 mount, on April 28, 2019 and taken in deep twilight.
