The rich Starcloud in Scutum the Shield framed here with a field of view similar to binoculars, and showing the prominent star cluster M11, aka the Wild Duck Cluster, at upper left. The cluster Messier 26 is at bottom right, and the small globular cluster NGC 6712 is at lower left. The tiny green planetary nebula IC 1295 is just visible at this scale to the left of NGC 6712. The area is bounded by many Barnard catalog dark nebulas. The very red star below centre is S Scuti. The large and loose open cluster at far right near the star Alpha Scuti is NGC 6664 with the dimmer Trumpler 34 to the left of it. This is a stack of 10 x 6-minute exposures with the SharpStar 61mm EDPH apo refractor, with its flattener/reducer lens for f/4.5 and with the stock Canon R6 camera at ISO 800. Guided with the MGEN3 autoguider with dithering on but no LENR or dark frames to eliminate thermal noise or edge amp glows.
The constellation of Serpens, the east segment known as Serpens Cauda (its tail) in the northern summer sky, with parts of Ophiuchus at right and Scutum at left. The Serpens-Ophiuchus Double Cluster is at left, made of NGC 6633 (right) and IC 4756 (left). The binocular cluster IC 4665 is above greenish Beta Ophiuchi (Cebalrai) at centre. Blue Rasalhague and orange Rasalgethi are at top right. To the left (east) of Cebalrai at centre is the V-shaped asterism known as Taurus Poniatowski or the “Little Bull,” a group that resembles the Hyades in Taurus. The group was named for the King of Poland, Stanislaus Poniatowski in 1777 by Marcin Poczobutt. The constellation pattern was never accepted but the asterism, now in Ophiuchus, is a fine one for binoculars. This is a stack of 4 x 1-minute exposures with the 50mm Sigma lens at f/2.8 and Canon 6D at ISO 1600, plus an additional 1 min exposure through the Kenko Softon filter to add the star glows. All tracked on the MSM SiFo Tracker from China. Taken from home July 24, 2019.
The multiple star Sigma Orionis just right of centre, near the Horsehead Nebula in Orion, and with the Flame Nebula, NGC 2024, above. This is a stack of 8 x 5 minute exposures with thr 130mm Astro-Physics refractor at f/6 with the Canon 6D (not modified) at ISO 1600, plus a single 1-minute exposure added in for the bright stars to prevent them from being blown out too much. Even the long exposures were kept short so as not to overexpose the star too much — the focus was on the stars not on going deep to bring out the faint nebulosity. Shot Feb 17, 2017 from home. Some light cloud added glows to the stars.
