M24

Image Description and Details : M24, also known as the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, is a large star cloud in the constellation of Sagittarius. It is located about 10,000 light-years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 4.6. M24 is about 600 light-years wide and lies in the Sagittarius Arm of our galaxy, the next inner spiral arm to our own.
The star cloud is visible to the naked eye as a large, hazy patch in the Milky Way. Binoculars and small telescopes reveal a dense concentration of stars, including many young, bright stars. M24 is also home to a number of open clusters, including NGC 6603.
The physical composition of M24 is dominated by hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements. The average temperature of the gas in M24 is about 10,000 degrees Kelvin. The stars in M24 are mostly young and hot, with a few older, cooler stars. The open clusters in M24 are about 100 million years old. A detailed examination of the image reveals the full life cycle of stars. Supernova remnants, gas clouds, and condensing dark nebulae are scattered across this narrowband vista, providing a glimpse into the birth, life, and death of stars.
Tech:
Takahashi FSQ @ f/5
FLI Proline 16803
5nm Ha and OIII filters
10 x 1800s exposure each color channel. Ha assigned to red. OIII assigned to blue
MaximDL, Astro Pixel Processor, Croman StarX, Photoshop
Coonabarabran, NSW, AUS

Copyright John P. Gleason