Star Clusters
Star clusters or star clouds are groups of stars. Two types of star clusters can be distinguished: globular clusters are tight groups of hundreds of thousands of very old stars which are gravitationally bound, while open clusters s, more loosely clustered groups of stars, generally contain fewer than a few hundred members, and are often very young. Open clusters become disrupted over time by the gravitational influence of giant molecular clouds as they move through the galaxy, but cluster members will continue to move in broadly the same direction through space even though they are no longer gravitationally bound
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Wild Duck Cluster - M11
The Wild Duck Cluster (also known as Messier 11, or NGC 6705) is an open cluster in the constellationScutum. It is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters, containing about 2900 stars. Its age has been estimated to about 220 million years. Its name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could represent a flying flock of ducks.
Telescope: Officina Stellare Veloce RH200
Mount: Astrophysics Mach1 GTO
Guiding: TS-OAG9 / Lodestar
Camera: ATIK 383L+ Mono
Filters: Baader L-R-G-B-HA
Total Exposure: 3h
Subexposures: LRGB 3min
Location: Mt Parnon