Messier 11 (also know as the Wild Duck Cluster) is one of the richest and most compact of the galactic (open) clusters. M11 is at a distance of approximately 5600 ly and contains an estimated 2900 stars, about 500 of which are brighter than mag 14. An observer at the center of M11 would see several hundred first magnitude stars!

equipment data:
Canon 350D unmodified
20 x 90 sec ISO 800
TeleVue TV102 with TRF-3009 .8x
GM-8 Gemini / G11 tripod

captured at the NHAS dark sky site YFOS
Calibrated and stacked with dark frames in IP 2.82
Post processed in PixInsight Standard

This was the winning image in the August 2008 Easy Category on the Astrophotogallery Challenge website.

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