# Pleiades / M45

#### **Messier 45 (and NGC**1432 / NGC1435)

[![IMG_0094.png](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/img-0094.png)](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/img-0094.png)

> **My best photo of the Pleiades -** [Full resolution picture available on Telescopius](https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/160122/deep_sky/ngc-1432/by-afonso_muralha?gallery_order=is_featured&gallery_object_search_in_description=false&gallery_object_types=&gallery_filter_type_ids=&gallery_page=1&gallery_user_id=39078#annotated=off)  
> **Details**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Date**: 22/Aug/2023  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Exposures**: 45x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**ISO**: 1600  
> **Equipment**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Camera**: Canon 6D  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Telescope**: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Mount**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: EQ5 modified with Onstep </span>

**Description**

The Pleiades also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an asterism of an open star cluster containing young B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the nearest Messier object to Earth, being the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky. It contains the reflection nebulae NGC 1432, an HII region, and NGC 1435, known as the Merope Nebula. Around 2330 BC the Pleiades marked the vernal point. Due to the brightness of its stars, the Pleiades is viewable from most areas on Earth, even in locations with significant light pollution.

<p class="callout info">[Find more information about the Pleiades on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades)</p>

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### **Personal Stats**

#### **First observation**

<table class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%93%86-12%2F01%2F2013-%F0%9F%93%8D-los-a" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%; border-width: 1px; height: 58px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 21.2346%;"></col><col style="width: 78.5185%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">📆

</td><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">22/08/2023

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px; vertical-align: middle;">📍

</td><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">Santa Cruz, Portugal

</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### **Imaging sessions**

<table class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%C2%A0datebortle-classtot" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%; height: 87.5px; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 86px;"></col><col style="width: 244px;"></col><col style="width: 298px;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29.5px;"><td class="align-center" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-style: none; height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Date</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;">Bortle Class

</td><td class="align-center" style="height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;">Total Exposure Time

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;">22/8/2023

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Class 4</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 45min (45x1min)</span>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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**Captured media**

#### **Photographs**

[![IMG_0094.png](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/img-0094.png)](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/img-0094.png)

> **My best photo of the Pleiades -** [Full resolution picture available on Telescopius](https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/160122/deep_sky/ngc-1432/by-afonso_muralha?gallery_order=is_featured&gallery_object_search_in_description=false&gallery_object_types=&gallery_filter_type_ids=&gallery_page=1&gallery_user_id=39078#annotated=off)  
> **Details**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Date**: 22/Aug/2023  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Exposures**: 45x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**ISO**: 1600  
> **Equipment**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Camera**: Canon 6D  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Telescope**: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Mount**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: EQ5 modified with Onstep </span>