M45 - the Pleiades
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This is a well-known, easy to recognise open cluster of stars. Most people can see 6 stars with the naked eye if they look carefully, though some claim to see 7 and so the cluster is also known as the Seven Sisters. These are young stars, less than 100 million years old. Their light is illuminating the remains of the gas cloud from which they formed.
2010 Dec 11 - 254mm Newtonian, dark site
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 1200mm 24 x 30s f/4.8 ISO6400 2010-12-11 20:40:12-20:55:09 UT
From Rookhope 54.8
The nebulosity surrounding the Pleiades. I have tried several times to photograph this nebula from a suburban site but have hardly seen a trace of it, owing to light pollution. The present photo was taken from the village of Rookhope in the North Pennines and the result speaks for itself.
2010 Oct 18 - 254mm Newtonian, dark site
The following is the first attempt from the less polluted rural site. It was taken with a waxing gibbous moon but nevertheless shows the nebula better. I hope to do even better soon.
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 1200mm 14 x 15s f/4.8 ISO6400 2010-10-18 21:48:36-21:53:56 UT
From Rookhope 54.8
By the way, stars are not pointed. The brightest stars here show points due to the diffraction of light by the 4 thin supports of the secondary mirror in my telescope.
2009 Sep 26 - 254mm Newtonian, suburban site
This photo had just a long enough exposure to show some of the nebulosity despite being taken from my light-polluted site.
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 1200mm 33 x 10s f/4.8 ISO3200 2009-9-26 22:09:00-22:17:15 UT
From Whitley Bay 55.1