M45: The magnificent Pleiades (seven sisters) star cluster

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Marco Lorenzi (Glittering Lights)

PleaiadesPerhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades star cluster can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city.

With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident. The featured exposure took over 12 hours and covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon.

Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiades lies about 400 light years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). …The actual number of Pleiades stars visible, may be more or less than seven, depending on the darkness of the surrounding sky and the clarity of the observer’s eyesight.

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