License: CC0
Original Size: 4800 × 3200 pixels
Description: Messier 6 / M6 / NGC 6405 / The Butterfly Cluster
The Butterfly Cluster, named after its resemblance to the outline of a butterfly, is a sparsely populated open cluster in the constellation of Scorpius. It is about 1,600 light-years away and is estimated to be 94 million years old. The bright members of M6 are mainly blue B-type stars, but the brightest one (bottom left) is a K-type orange giant.
I’m finally making progress on my giant stockpile of old images. Life is much less overwhelming than it was 2 years ago, so I can actually enjoy my free time now (sometimes). My goal is to finish all of my deep-sky images captured with the Canon T3i before starting my more recent images from the ASI2600MC (2023 and on). I’ve got about 30 remaining in the T3i archive!
6 years ago, my second attempted deep-sky image featured M6: flic.kr/p/28MFcF2 3 years ago, this was a much-improved result: flic.kr/p/2m9JFyA
M6 is located near M7, another open cluster: flic.kr/p/2qbsjKf
Total integration: 6 hours 34 minutes (394 minutes) 2020/05/04: 82 x 120 seconds ISO200 2020/05/05: 115 x 120 seconds ISO200
Location: Coral Springs, FL SQM: 18.18 mag/arcsec^2 (Bortle 7) Camera: Canon T3i (stock/unmodified) Average camera temperature: 95 F (35 C) Telescope: Explore Scientific ED80 f/6.0 Apochromatic Refractor (with ES field flattener) Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G Guide scope: Svbony 50mm f/4.0 Guide Scope Guide camera: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider Capture software: N.I.N.A., ASTAP, PHD2
Processing software: PixInsight, GIMP