About this Object:
Open Cluster M26 (also known as Messier Object 26 or NGC 6694) is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. M26 spans about 22 light years across and is at a distance of 5,000 light years from the Earth. The brightest star is of magnitude 11.9 and the age of this cluster has been calculated to be 89 million years. An interesting feature of M26 is a region of low star density near the nucleus, most likely caused by an obscuring cloud of interstellar matter between us and the cluster.

About this Photo:
Location: From my driveway in Georgetown, Texas
Telescope: Celestron C9.25 @ F10
Mount: HEQ-5
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider / Taurus Tracker III
Camera: Canon 40D Modified
Exposure: 9 x 180 sec @ ISO 1600 (27 min.)
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 3.75 Camera Control
Processing: ImagesPlus 3.75 – Darks,Flats,Bias
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3; Gradient Exterminator; Noise Ninja; Noel Carboni's Tools; Star Spikes Pro
Date(s): September 4, 2010
Temperature(s): 90-87º F