My Astrophotography – Messier 38 (Starfish Cluster)

Messier 38 (Starfish Cluster)

• When astrophotographers capture Messier 38 in wide-field images, the cluster often appears embedded in or sitting next to a striking glow of red cosmic gas.
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• The “Starfish” Shape
  It earned its popular nickname because its brightest stars trace out a ragged, trailing pattern that resembles a starfish, an oblique cross.
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• M38 is a rich cluster hosting more than 100 confirmed stars.
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• Its most prominent and brightest member is a “yellow giant with the apparent magnitude +7.9 and spectral type G0” which shines 900 times more luminously than our Sun.
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• M38 cannot be seen with the naked eye but is a very easy target for binoculars.

• Object Name
  M38

• Object Type
  Open Cluster

• Constellation
  Auriga

• Magnitude
  +7.4

• Distance
  2,800 light-years

• Age
  220 million years old

Telescope:

Mount:

Accessories:

Sky-Watcher Esprint 80ED Triplet

Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 GT

ZWO ASIair Plus

Camera:

Guiding:

Filter:

ZWO ASI2600MC Pro cooling

ZWO ASI1200MM

Optolong L-eXtreme

• Date:
  Tuesday 1st September 2026
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• Time:
  01:00
  

• Moonlit:
  Waning Gibbous 20 days old
  Magnitude: -12.5
  Moonlit: 83%

• Total:
  180’s x 9 subs = 27 minutes
  
  Stopped at 27 minutes due the clouds interrupted.

Object :-

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Object :-

Other name :-

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Magnitude :–

Distance :-

Constellation :-

Right Ascension :-

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M38

NGC 1912

Open Cluster

+7.4

2,800 light years / 16 light years across

Aur (Auriga / The Charioteer)

05h 28m 07s

+35° 50′ 12″

Enlarge on click the map.

(Click the map above for a large view.)