Messier 36 (M36, NGC 1960) is a bright open cluster located approximately 4,100 light-years away in Auriga.
The non-distinct dark area below the cluster is cataloged as Barnard 226. B226 is part of the Astronomy League’s Dark Nebulae Program.
Luminance – 12x600s – 120 minutes – binned 1x1
RGB – 8x300s – 40 minutes each – binned 2x2
240 minutes total exposure – 4 hours
Imaged from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri (a red zone) on March 7th and 16th, 2015 with a SBIG ST-8300M on an Astro-Tech AT90DT at f/6.7 603mm.
LRGB - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcrowson/16819381876/sizes/l