License: CC0
Original Size: 2500 × 1667 pixels
Description: NGC 7789 / Caroline’s Rose Cluster
Caroline’s Rose Cluster is an open cluster about 7,600 light-years away. It is estimated to be 1.7 billion years old. Clusters of this age are rare since they typically disperse within a few hundred million years. Most of the cluster’s young, massive blue stars have died out, leaving an abundance of older yellow/orange stars.
I’m absolutely loving the colors and contrast achievable with the new image processing tools in PixInsight. BlurXTterminator, Repaired HSV Separation, and Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch are a fantastic combo for making the stars look beautiful!
Way back in 2019, my second deep-sky image with a real telescope featured Caroline’s Rose: flic.kr/p/2ePK7pt
Total integration: 7 hours 30 minutes (450 minutes) 08/10/19: 68 x 60 seconds ISO200 08/11/19: 108 x 60 seconds ISO200 08/09/21: 38 x 120 seconds ISO200 08/10/21: 55 x 120 seconds ISO200 08/11/21: 44 x 120 seconds ISO200
Location: Coral Springs, FL SQM: 18.18 mag/arcsec^2 (Bortle 7) Camera: Canon T3i (stock/unmodified) Average camera temperature: 100 F (38 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, Paint.NET