Melotte 111 Open Star Cluster

Photograph taken in our backyard on the 4th March 2013
with a tripod mounted 35mm Canon 400D DSLR

The Coma Star Cluster Melotte 111 in the constellation Coma Berenices is a cluster of 40 or so bright stars which are moving across the sky with a common proper motion. The cluster is approximately 280 light years away.

Magnified section showing the cluster in more detail