PLEIADES | M31

I finally finished my first project under my new home in Kyle, Texas, suburbs of South Austin, and boy what a difference from my old light polluted sky in Orlando, FL. If you know nothing about astrophotography, there is a a scale of light pollution called the Bortle scale that goes from 1 to 9, nine being the worst, and Orlando was 8-9 and here in Kyle it is 4-5, and it makes a hell of a difference, specially for broad band targets such as galaxies or reflection nebulas like the Pleiades, broad band means its light is made of natural light, the same light wavelengths such as the light emitted by the cities posts, meaning I cant use light pollution filters efficiently.

The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, has always felt like a quiet gathering in the night sky. Nestled in Taurus, this shimmering cluster has been watched and whispered about for thousands of years. In Greek myth, they were daughters of Atlas, lifted into the heavens to escape Orion’s pursuit, their light forever woven together. Across the world, from the Māori to many Native American peoples, these same stars carried stories of beginnings, journeys, and the rhythm of the seasons. Long before clocks and calendars, their soft glow told farmers when to plant and travelers when to move. Even now, to look up at them is to feel something ancient—like listening to an old song the sky never stopped singing.

23h 35 min total integration time
Sharpstar 61 EDPH II + 0.7 reducer @f4.5
ASI183MC PRO dedicated astrocamera
AM5 Mount
SVBONY UV/IR cut filter
SVBONY 30mm f4 Guide Scope
ASI120MM mini guide camera with red filter
ASIAir mini
Bortle 4-5
Software: DeepSkyStacker > Siril > Starnet > Graxpert > Photoshop > Topaz Denoiser