unknown cluster

[raymo]

By any chance does anybody recognise this cluster. It is a DSS result,
but I can't find the file containing the individual subs. I seem to recall that
there is an app that can do the job.
raymo

[luka]

You can use astrometry.net (http://astrometry.net) to find objects within an image.

It is NGC3532, Pincushion Cluster or also called Football Cluster or the Wishing Well Cluster. Here (http://nova.astrometry.net/user_images/2364841#annotated) is the astrometry.net page with the results for your image.

[ChrisV]

Very nice Raymo. And its proper football, not the type with those weird egg shaped balls.:)

[raymo]

Thanks Chris, I have been seeing lots of images from newbies and near newbies with misshapen stars over the last year or so. I suspect it is because
many of today's newbies are not content to use a simple DSLR setup while they learn the basics of imaging, but get all the bells and whistles such as
coma correctors, extension tubes, filter wheels, and often heavy dedicated astro cameras, all of which introduce the probability of camera sag, and
spacing errors.
raymo

[ChrisV]

Agreed Raymo. It was plain sailing for me on a little refractor and DSLR. That did transition well to an astro camera. But since moving to a newt with coma corrector I've had all sorts of problems with tilt/sag on the cooled astro camera. Taken me 2-3 months of futzing around to get it sorted - finally got my first decent night last night and the stars look round for a change - I hope that stays the same when processed ...

[cometcatcher]

Yeah that's 3532, one of my favourite open clusters. I first saw this back in about 1977 with an 80mm F15 refractor. Lovely cluster and nice shot Ray.

[raymo]

Hi Kevin, I remembered taking this image as soon as Luka told me its
NGC number. I notice that star filled images like this one look much better
when the room is a bit darker [more contrast I suppose]. I imagine the cluster would have looked quite different when you observed it back in 1977:D:lol::rofl:
raymo