Messier 45 (M 45) - (Pleiades, Seven Sisters)

Introduction | Map | My Best Own Photos | My Own Observations | References || Appendix: My Own Photos

On this page I collect my observations of the open star cluster M 45 (Pleiades, Seven Sisters) in the constellation Taurus/Bull.

Introduction

I know the Pleiades (M 45, Seven Sisters) in constellation Taurus/Bull since my childhood. Finding them was therefore no problem for me, especially since they are already visible with the naked eye. They are also a nice object in the binocular, but much more so in a telescope at low magnifications. In a telescope, there are, of course, even more stars visible and many of them are almost sparkling. I think that with the C8, I also saw some of the nebulae around the stars.

Size: 1.8° x 1.2° (Stoyan)
Distance: 490 light years
Rating: *****

Map

M 45 (Pleiades, Seven Sisters) in constellation Taurus/Bull (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

My Own Photos

Atik Infinity & Skymax-127 (January 14, 2018)


M 45 (Taurus), center, post-processed		M 45 (Taurus), center, post-processed

Note that these photos show the complete image and that the large versions are in original size. This is due to the fact that the sky objects are extended - even beyond the field of view.

Atik Infinity & Explorer 150PDS (March 14, 2018)


M 45 (Taurus), post-processed and sharpened		Ditto, post-processed and sharpened

Sony RX10 M4 (February 11, 2021)


M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 3200		M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 6400

M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 3200, bearbeitet		M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 6400, bearbeitet

M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 3200, mehrere Fotos in Affinity Photo überlagert (Durchschnitt)		M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 6400, mehrere Fotos in Affinity Photo überlagert (Durchschnitt)

M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 3200, mehrere Fotos in Affinity Photo überlagert (Durchschnitt), bearbeitet		M 45 mit Sony RX10 M4, ISO 6400, mehrere Fotos in Affinity Photo überlagert (Durchschnitt), bearbeitet

Aufnahmedaten: M-Modus mit 1 s und f/4, 600 mm, ISO 3200/6400, Langzeit-Rauschunterdrückung ein, manueller Fokus

Sony RX10 M4 (February 12, 2021)


M 45 with Sony RX10 M4, ISO 6400		M 45 with Sony RX10 M4, ISO 6400, processed

M 45 with Sony RX10 M4, ISO, 11 photos stacked in Affinity Photo (average)		M 45 with Sony RX10 M4, 11 photos stacked in Affinity Photo (average), processed

Photo data: M mode with 1 s and f/4, 600 mm, ISO 6400, long-time noise suppression off, manual focus

eVscope


M 45 - Mar 18, 2020	M 45 - Nov 17, 2020	M 45 - Jan 24, 2022

M 45 - Mar 18, 2020, photo on top processed	M 45 - Nov 17, 2020, photo on top processed	M 45 - Jan 24, 2022, photo on top processed

eVscope 2


M 45 - Dec 17, 2022	M 45 - Dec 17, 2022	M 45 - Jan 18, 2023

M 45 - Dec 17, 2022, photo on top processed	M 45 - Dec 17, 2022, photo on top processed	M 45 - Jan 18, 2023, photo on top processed

Vespera


M 45 - Feb 6, 2023, 1200s		M 45 - Feb 6, 2023, photo left processed

M 45 - Feb 6, 2023 - 2440s, mosaic		M 45 - Feb 6, 2023, photo left processed

My Own Observations

Observations February 2017

February 13, 2017 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Heritage 100P, LT binoculars): M 45 observed; in a 4" telescope there are, of course, even more stars visible than in binoculars, and many of them are almost sparkling.
February 14, 2017 (ditto: GSO GSD 680, LT binoculars): M 45 observed, even more impressive than in the small 100P...
February 15, 2017: (ditto: Heritage 100P on GoTo mount, LT binoculars): M 45 observed, like on Feb 13
February 18, 2017 (ditto: GSO GSD 680): M 45 observed, even more impressive than in the small 100P...
February 26, 2017: (ditto: Heritage P130 on GoTo mount): M 45 observed, even more impressive than in the small 100P... (new moon).
March 2, 2017: (ditto): Ditto

Observations October/November 2017

October 2017 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: LT and TS binoculars): M 45 observed
November 13, 2017 (Mühlhausen: LT and TS binoculars): M 45 seen well in my binoculars

Observations January-March 2018

Jan 14, 2018 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Skymax-127 on GoTo mount with Atik Infinity): M 45 photographed with Atik Infinity and Skymax-127 (2 x focal reducer and extension tube) on GoTo mount.
Jan 14, 2018 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: TS binoculars): M 45 observed with binoculars.
Feb 4-5, 2018 (ditto): M 45 observed with binoculars.
Feb 13, 2018 (ditto): M 45 observed with binoculars.
March 14, 2018 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Explorer 150PDS on GoTo mount with Atik Infinity, StarSense): M 45 photographed with Atik Infinity and Explorer 150PDS on GoTo mount.
March 18-19, 2018 (Kellinghusen and Erkerode, TS binoculars): M 45 observed with binoculars.

Observations October/ November 2018

Oct 4, 2018 (Sumène, Haute Loire, France: PS 72/432, AZ Pronto Mount): M 45 (Pleiades) seen beautifully, with TS und OM21 binos as well
Oct 5, 2018 (Sumène, Haute Loire, France: TS binoculars, LT binoculars): M 45 seen nicely in a large telescope; also observed M 31 in Betz with LT binoculars; in Sumène observed with both binoculars.
Nov 11, 2018 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Heritage 100P, AZ Pronto Mount, LT binoculars): M 45 observed with telescope and LT binoculars (Astrid) on top of cemetary.
Nov 11, 2018 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: PS 72/432, AZ Pronto Mount): M 45 observed with telescope (28 mm, 16 mm), nice.

Observations February 2019 ff

February 26, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: PS 72/432 on AZ Pronto Mount, Heritage 100P, TS binoculars): Pleiades M 45 beautiful (PS 73/432, 100 P; small magnifications); in the TS binoculars beautiful as well.
February 27, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: PS 72/432 on AZ Pronto Mount, TS binoculars): Pleiades M 45 beautiful (small magnifications); seen in the TS binoculars as well.

Observations September to December 2019

September 30, 2019 (Sumène, France: StarTravel 120/600 on AZ Pronto Mount): M 45 observed with the 35 mm ED eyepiece, very nice.
October 3, 2019 (Sumène, France: StarTravel 120/600 on AZ Pronto Mount): M 45 once more observed with the 35 mm ED eyepiece.
October 12, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: StarTravel 120/600 and PS 72/432 on AZ Pronto Mount, TS and LT binoculars): M 45 observed with 35 mm ED and borrowed 32 mm eyepieces, nicely seen. Also nicely seen with binoculars.
November 27, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on GoTo mount): M 45 seen nicely (probably not completely; 56 mm).
December 4, 2019 (Erkerode: C8 on GoTo mount, manually): Saw always only a section of the Pleiades M 45; I could wander along a little for more (by moving the telescope)... Used only eyepieces with a long focal length, saw a shimmer around the brighter stars.
December 19, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on AZ4 mount): M 45 (Pleiades) seen beautifully with 56 and 40 mm

Observations End of December 2019 - March 2020

December 28, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on AZ4 mount, Skymax-127 on AZ Pronto mount): Observed M 45 (Pleiades) with C8/AZ4 (40 mm) and SM127/Pronto (24 mm); altogether, M 45 was more beautifulin the C8; I was able to see also the "nebulae" around the stars in the C8, which you normally only see on photos; maybe a little bit of nebulae was also visible in the SM127; altogether, M 45 was more beautiful in the C8.
December 30, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on Star Discovery mount (manually), Explorer 150PDS on AZ4 mount): M 45 appeared almost better in the 150PDS, because the sky section was larger; otherwise, it was very similar in both telescopes.
January 5, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Explorer 150PDS on AZ4 mount): M 45 (Pleiades) looked most beautiful in 40 mm eyepiece (I also used 35, 28 mm)
January 16, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on Star Discovery mount (SynScan WLAN, iPhone), PS72 on AZ Pronto mount): Entered M 45 in the app and accessed it; moved too far left, but M 45 was easy to find. Observed only with 40 mm with the C8, was to deep at the bginning (there was a chain of stars). Moved up later to the "main group". The glow around the brighter stars was clearly visible.
Observed with 35 (2") and 24 mm with the PS72. A lot of space around m 45 when using 35 mm, the chain of stars was at the bottom and fairly faint; better fit with 24 mm; I only guessed the glow around the brighter stars...
Observed M 45 with the C8 also with a reducer; here, too, the FOV was too small for seeing the whole cluster...
January 18, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on AZ4 mount): M 45 nice and somewhat "foggy" (section, 40 mm)
January 20, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C8 on Star Discovery mount (manual)): M 45 nice and somewhat "foggy" (section, 40 mm)
January 24, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: PS72 on AZ Pronto mount): M 45 found (40, 35 mm)
January 28, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau:eVscope): M 45 photographed
February 5, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M 45 photographed
February 8, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M 45 photographed with poor results
March 18, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M 45 photographed

Observations November 2020

November 5, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: TLAPO1027 on AZ4 mount): M 45 observed (26, 40 mm), "rich-field" with 40 mm
November 17, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M 45 photographed

Observations January to December 2021

January 10, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C5 on AZ Pronto, Skymax-127 on AZ Pronto and Star Discovery): C5 shows M 45 more or less completely (nice), SM127 only a section (nice as well, but not the same...)
February 11, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: RX10 M4 on AZ Pronto): M 45 photographed (1 s), partly stacked in Affinity Photo
February 12, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: RX10 M4 on AZ-GTi): M 45 photographed (1 s), partly stacked in Affinity Photo
February 13, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: C5 on AZ-GTi, Atik Infinity ): M 45 photographed, not very attractive...
February 20, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M 45 photographed
March 25, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: PS72 on AZ-GTi, Atik Infinity): M 45 photographed
December 21, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope 2): M 45 photographed

Observations January to December 2022

January 24, 2022 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope and eVscope 2): M 45 photographed
March 20, 2022 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope 2): M 45 photographed
April 9, 2022 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope 2): M 45 photographed (app version 1.5), poor
December 17, 2022 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope 2): M 45 photographed (app version 2.2)

Observations January/February 2023

January 18, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope2): M 45 photographed (app version 2.2)
February 6, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Vespera): M 45 photographed (single shot and mosaic)
February 7, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope2): M 45 photographed (app version 2.3)
February 12, 2021 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope2): M 45 photographed (app version 2.3)

References

Messier Catalogue - Messier 45: messier.seds.org/m/m045.html

On this Site

Appendix: My Own Photos