By Tim Kerr
Taken February 4th 2009 after 8:00pm from my home in Hubert North Carolina
Messier 44 The Beehive, aka the Praesepe (Latin for Manager)
Located approximately 577 LY from Earth in the Constellation Cancer, this open cluster is a nice binocular target this time of year.
This image is a stack of ISO 800, 20x120 second exposure taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT/350D at prime focus on a Celestron C6" R-GT f/8 achromatic refractor.
Diffraction spikes are a product of strings tied across the front of the telescopes dew shield which also aids in fine focus of the camera.