Welcome to my log of 125 Open Clusters. This project was initiated in the summer of 2023. The final 5 objects were added in November of 2024. All images were taken through an Astro Tech 80ED and captured with either a ZSO ASI183MC or a ZSO ASI533 MC Pro. The images were live stacked and stretched in SharpCap. Typically, a 5-minute total integration time was used for most objects. For objects that exhibited exceptional interest like nebulae, the integration time was increased.
The stacked image was transformed into black and white and inverted to show the negative. This approach, in my opinion, reveals much more contrast for the fainter objects and gives the feel of an old-time atlas.
The objects are arranged in order of Right Ascension. The Trumpler Cluster Classification is my estimate as determined by my observation notes and the image followed by the Sky Atlas 2000.0 Companion designation in parenthesis, if available. The most frequent deviations from my estimated and the reference was in the degree of concentration of the cluster. Judging between “little central concentration” and “no noticeable concentration” seems to be a challenge for me. The other frequent deviation was in judging the numbers of associated stars in the cluster. I believe I got better with both these estimates over time.
Astro-Shed 