Dive into the celestial beauty of "Seven Sisters - Pleiades (M45)," a breathtaking image by the skilled astrophotographer Bartosz Wojczynski

This image captures the famous Pleiades, an open cluster of young, bright stars, located approximately 445 light-years from Earth in the northern sky. Known from Ancient Greek mythology, the Pleiades, or "Seven Sisters," form a magnificent star cluster with around 1,000 stars.

Using advanced panorama techniques, Wojczynski showcases the wide field of this star cluster, highlighting the blue reflection nebulas that reflect the light from the brightest stars. The image also encompasses the "Golden Gate of the Ecliptic," an asterism formed in conjunction with the nearby Hyades cluster. Stitched from multiple panels, this photograph boasts an impressive 200 megapixels, ensuring outstanding quality even in large print sizes.

Ideal for astronomy enthusiasts, star gazers, and art lovers, this high-resolution print brings the mesmerizing charm of the Pleiades into your home. Elevate your décor and let the wonders of the cosmos inspire you daily with this stunning piece of celestial art.

Photo details

• Date & Time: 2020 January 23rd/24th; 21:58 ~ 02:01 WET
• Location: Garafia, La Palma, Spain
• Optics: 2 x Takahashi Epsilon 130D
• Camera: 2 x Nikon D810A
• Mount: 2 x iOptron CEM25P
• Tripod:
  • Avalon T-Pod 90
  • iOptron 2" steel tripod
• Guider:
  • 2 x Lacerta MGEN II
  • Lacerta M54 OAG for Nikon
  • ZWO 30/120 guide scope
• Composition: 9 pane mosaic (3 columns, 3 rows)
• Exposure
  • 5 x 10 minutes per pane
  • 430 mm, f/3.3, ISO 400
  • 7 hours 30 minutes total
• Calibration
  • 50 bias frames per camera
  • 50 flat frames per camera
• Processing   
  • DeepSkyStacker: calibrate, align, stack
  • Microsoft ICE: compose mosaic
  • Adobe Photoshop CC: subtract skylight, ACR filter

Artist: Bartosz Wojczyński

Astronomy lover with over ten years of experience in the field of astrophotography. Winner of many prestigious awards, incl. Astrobin Image of the Day and NASA APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day). Organizer of astrophotographic expeditions to the darkest places on our planet. Bartosz appreciates versatility and diversity – his photographic output includes both deep sky photos, extreme close-ups of the moon, and astroscapes that show the beauty of outer space in a wide field. On a daily basis he works as a specialist in image processing and 3D graphics.