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Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24)
star cloud in Sagittarius
The Sagittarius Star Cloud is not a cluster. It is a gap in the dark dust lanes of the Milky Way that lets us look deep into the Sagittarius arm, and it appears as a bright, dense patch of countless stars. It contains the open cluster NGC 6603 and dark nebulae like Barnard 92.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- M24
- Type
- star cloud
- Constellation
- Sagittarius
- Size
- 1.5° across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 4.6
- Distance
- about 10,000 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Jun
- Typical prime months
- Apr to Sep
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Filter
- No filter (broadband)
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How to image Sagittarius Star Cloud
- It is 90 arcminutes wide, so a wide frame of 200 to 300 mm on APS-C suits it.
- Look for the dark nebula Barnard 92 silhouetted against the bright star cloud.
- Use a wide field and broadband only. Short subs work, because the field is so bright.
Framing: what focal length?
The focal length at which M24 spans about 60% of the long side of the sensor, leaving room around it. Treat it as a starting point; the right framing is a matter of taste.
| Sensor | Focal length |
|---|---|
| 1-inch sensor (13.2 mm) | about 300 mm |
| APS-C (23.5 mm) | about 540 mm |
| Full frame (36 mm) | about 830 mm |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M24 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 17° | Stays low |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 27° | Stays low |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 37° | Workable |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 47° | Workable |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 73° | High in the sky |
Also worth imaging
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