Star Cluster Astrophotography

We have imaged many star clusters on our hunt to capture all Messier objects. The Messier catalog contains 56 Star Clusters, 29 globular clusters, and 27 open clusters.

For star clusters, we recommend spending an hour of total exposure time. Even with a low total exposure time they look great, however, some are complex and require more time. The Pleiades Cluster (M45) is a great example because it contains nebulous gas illuminated by the stars.

Further below you will find posts on star clusters we have imaged. Read more about the target, the gear we used, as well as all the acquisition details.

How Many Types of Star Clusters are there?

There are four types of star clusters known but only two types are found in the Milky Way galaxy. These are Globular Clusters and Open Clusters. The other two are found far out of our galaxy: Intermediate and Faint Fuzzies.

1) Globular Clusters

In two words, Globular Clusters are old and rich.

These almost always appear round and very busy. There are about 150 globular clusters in our Milky Way.

Do you think that living on a planet orbiting one of these stars means it is always daytime?

Imagine hundreds of "suns" in your sky, 24/7.

2) Open Clusters

Unlike Globular Clusters, these are young and much less populated.

1,100 (and counting) Open Clusters have been discovered in the Milky Way galaxy. The most famous ones are the Pleiades and the nearby Hyades, both easily visible to the naked eye.

Most are home to just a few thousand stars, loosely bound by gravity.

3) Intermediate Clusters

Only a few of these types of clusters have been discovered, and they were all in M31 (The Andromeda Galaxy).

They look like Globular clusters but are much larger and there is significantly more space between each star.

These clusters are so huge that they are defined as being between a globular cluster and a dwarf galaxy.

4) Faint Fuzzies

Another type of star cluster we can't see is faint fuzzies.

Just like Intermediate Clusters, these are much larger in size and are not found in the Milky Way.

They have only been discovered in lenticular galaxies and appear to be located in the ring area around the galaxy's center.

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Star Cluster Astrophotography Resources

Check out all the star cluster photographs we've taken in the posts below. We outline what gear we used, the time spent on each targets, and the acquisition details.

M9 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus Astrophotography

Messier 9 astrophotography that shows Hydrogen Alpha gas and IFN. M9 is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus visible in Summer.

Jan 163 min read

M41 - The Little Beehive Cluster Astrophotography

The Little Beehive Cluster (M41) photographed with a telescope in RGB+HA, revealing a lot of Hydrogen Alpha gas around the open cluster!

Jan 74 min read

M14 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus | Astrophotography Pictures and Tips

M14 astrophotography in Ophiuchus! Learn to find and capture this beautiful globular cluster using a telescope.

Aug 24, 20245 min read

M23 - Open Cluster In Sagittarius | Astrophotography

Learn how to photograph Messier 23 (M23), a beautiful open star cluster in Sagittarius with some beautiful Milky Way dust in the background!

Jun 12, 20245 min read

M72 - Globular Cluster in Aquarius | Astrophotography Pictures and Tips

Messier 72 astrophotography using a RASA telescope under dark skies! Learn tips for capturing this faint globular cluster in Aquarius.

Feb 23, 20245 min read

M73 - Asterism in Aquarius | Astrophotography Pictures and Tips

M73 Astrophotography in Aquarius! Learn tips and tricks for capturing this dim and small asterism that was once believed to be a cluster.

Nov 30, 20236 min read

The Hyades Mosaic - The Closest Open Cluster to Earth | Astrophotography

The Hyades astrophotography doing a 3x3 mosaic! Learn how to capture the closest open cluster to Earth and reveal all the dust behind it.

Nov 14, 20238 min read

M75 - Globular Cluster in Sagittarius | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

M75 astrophotography tips and images. M75 is a globular cluster in Sagittarius. It is one of the most distant and dense globular clusters.

Oct 27, 20234 min read

M15 - The Pegasus Globular Cluster With IFN | Astrophotography

M15 astrophotography with the faint IFN surrounding the Pegasus globular cluster.

Oct 25, 20238 min read

M12 - The Gumball Cluster in Ophiuchus | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

M12 astrophotography with a color camera! Get tips, images, and more to capture the Gumball globular cluster in Ophiuchus.

Oct 19, 20235 min read

Messier 26 - Open Cluster in Scutum | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

Messier 26 is an open cluster in Scutum. This was a difficult cluster we ever had to process because of the number of stars!

Sep 19, 20236 min read

M44 - The Beehive Cluster in Cancer | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

Messier 44 is a bright and popular open cluster in the constellation Cancer. It is large and best observed and captured with a small...

Sep 15, 20236 min read

Messier 24 - The Sagittarius Star Cloud | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

Messier 24, also known as the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, is a large region of sky that is completely filled with stars. This...

Jul 24, 20237 min read

Messier 53 - Globular Cluster in Coma Berenices Astrophotography

M53 is an open cluster located 58,000 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. M53 is home to hundreds of thousands of stars.

Jun 9, 20234 min read

Messier 93 - Open Cluster in Puppis | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

Open Cluster Messier 93 photographed using RGB filters. M93 lies in the constellation Puppis and is easy for beginner astrophotographers.

May 11, 20234 min read

Messier 48 - Open Cluster in Hydra

Messier 48 is an easy target to image for beginner astrophotographers. Discover more about this star cluster and how we photographed it.

Apr 24, 20235 min read

Messier 37 - The Salt and Pepper Open Cluster in Auriga

M37 is the brightest and largest open cluster in Auriga. Discover more about this object and photograph it with our astrophotography tips.

Apr 6, 20237 min read

NGC 869 & NGC 884 - The Double Cluster in Perseus Astrophotography

Revealing the hidden beauty in the Double Cluster in Perseus. These two open clusters are overlapping a lot of faint hydrogen-alpha gas!

Nov 17, 202210 min read

Messier 107 - A Loose Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus

The constellation Ophiuchus holds a loose star cluster - Messier 107. This object has many beautiful yellow stars. See our photo of M107.

Aug 30, 20213 min read

Messier 92 - A Bright and Impressive Globular Cluster

An impressive globular cluster that is great for beginner astrophotographers is Messier 92. Learn more about this deep-sky object.

Jul 28, 20213 min read

Messier 5 - A Globular Cluster in Serpens

Messier 5 is a globular cluster in the constellation Serpens. Beginner astrophotographers can learn from our capture of M5. Learn more.

May 4, 20213 min read

Messier 3 - 1 Hour on a Bright Globular Cluster

Messier 3 is a globular cluster located in Canes Venatici. In just one hour, we were able to capture this cluster with more than 274 stars.

Apr 22, 20213 min read

M46 and M47 - Two Open Clusters and a Hidden Nebula Astrophotography

Messier 46 and Messier 47 are two open clusters in the constellations Puppis. See example photos and a hidden nebula in our post.

Apr 21, 20213 min read

Messier 13 - The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Messier 13 is a top globular cluster to observe and photograph from the northern hemisphere. See our attempts at photographing this cluster.

Jan 19, 20214 min read

Messier 67 - The King Cobra Cluster in Cancer

Made up of at least 500 stars, Messier 67 is one of the most studied open clusters. Find out what this cluster looks like in this post.

Nov 13, 20202 min read

Messier 50 - An Open Cluster in Monoceros

Messier 50 is another rarely photographed deep-sky object and is located in the constellation Monoceros. Find out more about this target.

Nov 10, 20202 min read

Messier 56 - Backyard Astrophotography Without Filters or Calibration Frames

Messier 56 is a rarely photographed star cluster in the constellation Lyra. We used a new telescope and camera and imaged for just 1 hour.

Oct 20, 20203 min read

Messier 45 - The Pleiades Star Cluster

The Pleiades Star Cluster (M45) is a fantastic Astrophotography target for beginners. See images of our progress over the years!

Oct 15, 20209 min read

Messier 29 - An Open Cluster in (Almost) Heaven

Messier 29 is a small and faint open cluster in the constellation of Cygnus. We didn't expect much, but we were surprised while processing!

Jul 17, 20203 min read

Messier 30 - A Globular Cluster in Capricornus

We captured Messier 30 on a whim! We managed to get a nice photo with only 30 minutes of integration time! Learn more about this object.

Jul 16, 20203 min read

Messier 10 - A Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus

Messier 10 is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1764 and spans about two-thirds the size of the...

Jun 18, 20202 min read

Messier 4 and Antares in Scorpius - A Cluster near Nebulosity

Messier 4 is a great target for summer and with the right telescope and camera, you can capture the bright star Antares and nebulosity!

May 6, 20203 min read

Messier 36 - The Pinwheel Cluster in Auriga

One of the closest open clusters to Earth is Messier 36 located in Auriga. Learn how we photographed this star cluster.

Nov 30, 20192 min read

Messier 38 - The Starfish Cluster in Auriga

Messier 38 is an open cluster of stars located 4,200 light-years away in the constellation Auriga. Find out how we captured this object.

Nov 25, 20192 min read

Messier 71 - Globular Cluster in Sagitta

Messier 71 is a star cluster located about 12,000 light-years away. Take a look at our acquisition details and how we captured it.

Nov 14, 20193 min read

Messier 103 - Open Cluster in Cassiopeia with a Twist

Open Cluster Messier 103 astrophotography with the ASI 1600MM-Pro and Orion 8" Newtonian. Check out how we captured it.

Nov 9, 20193 min read

Messier 2 - Globular Cluster in Aquarius

Messier 2 is located in the constellation of Aquarius and is a faint object but still visible to the eye under dark skies. Learn more.

Aug 19, 20182 min read

Messier 35 - Open Cluster in Gemini

Despite a failed night of guiding, we photographed Messier 35 and a companion target. Get tips and learn more in our post.

Mar 18, 20182 min read

Messier 34 - Open Cluster in Perseus

Messier 34 is an open cluster that is not often photographed, but it is a simple beginner astrophotographer target. Learn more about this de

Nov 25, 20172 min read

M11 - The Wild Duck Cluster | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures

The Wild Duck Cluster is located in the constellation Scutum. Find out how to photograph this star cluster and see photo examples.

Nov 25, 20175 min read

Messier 39 - Open Cluster in Cygnus Astrophotography

Another cluster photographed as a "secondary target" to end the night: Messier 39! M39 is an open star cluster in the constellation of...

Nov 15, 20172 min read