This is the bright region of the Milky Way known as the Scutum Starcloud, in the constellation of Scutum the Shield. The bright Messier star cluster. M11, aka the Wild Duck Cluster, is embedded in the starcloud at left. This is a wonderful area to scan with binoculars and this field of view with the little RedCat astrograph is similar to what binoculars would show. The mass of dark dusty nebulosity at top is Barnard 111 and B110. The dark nebula at right is B103. The smaller Messier open star cluster M26 is at bottom. At lower left is the small globular cluster NGC 6712 with the tiny (on this scale) cyan-colored planetary nebula IC 1295 beside it at left. At lower right beside the orange star Alpha Scuti is the star cluster NGC 6664 with smaller Trumpler 34 to the left of NGC 6624. Above M11 is the small open cluster NGC 6704. This is a stack of 6 x 6-minute exposures with the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrograph at f/5 and the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800 with LENR on as it was the warmest night of the summer, August 18, 2020. Aligned, stacked and median combined in Photoshop to eliminate some satellite trails. Autoguided with the ZWO ASIAir and ASI120MM guide camera with the RedCat on the Astro-Physics Mach1 mount. No filters employed here.
Sirius (at top), the brightest star in the sky, and Canopus (above the trees), the scond brightest star in the sky, as seen from southern New Mexico. From a latitude of +33° Canopus just clears the tops of the trees. This is a stack of 2 x 2 minute exposures with the 35mm lens at f/2.8 and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600.
Sirius and Canopus, the two brightest stars in the night sky, together in the Arizona winter sky, with Canopus just clearing the horizon low in the south. Sirius is in Canis Major, while Canopus is in Carina, formerly part of Argo Navis. I shot this December 7, 2015 from the Quailway Cottage near Portal, Arizona, at a latitude of +32° N. Airglow adds the green bands. The open cluster M41 is visible just below Sirius. Several other star clusters in Puppis just show up as well below Canis Major. This is a stack of 5 x 2-minute exposures at f/2.8 with the 35mm lens and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2500, on the iOptron Sky-Tracker.
