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Messier 67 is the oldest open cluster in the Messier Catalog (3.2 to 5 billion years old) and one of the oldest known. It is many times referred to as the “King Cobra” Cluster. Located in the constellation Cancer at a distance of 2,750 light years (the distance estimates range from 2,600 to 2,900 light years, but recent measurements give the more probable 2,750 ly). Recent research papers (2019 and 2021) have stated that M67 contains up to 14 Blue Stragglers (BSS, stars that are more common in globular clusters and are “young stars” formed from an old star that captures mass from a smaller companion and re-ignites as a hot blue star). Some (four) of these BSS, have low mass white dwarf companions and even 11 of them have radial velocities that are compatible with the presence of planets around them.
Additional Information
Object
Name(s): Messier 67, M67, NGC 2682
Type: Open Cluster
RA: 08h 51m 17s
Dec: +11º 48′ 00”
Constellation: Cancer
Size (arcmin): 25×25 arcmin
Magnitude: +6.9
Distance: 2,750 ly
Image
Date: 2021-11-19 to 2021-12-01
Location: Curiosity2 Observatory, New Mexico Skies, Mayhill, NM, USA
Size (arcmin): 30×30 arcmin
Telescope: 24” (61 cm) f/6.5 Reflector
Camera: FLI PL16803 (4096x4096pix)
Guiding: Astrodon MonsterMOAG off-axis guider
Total exposure: 3.5 hours (RGB: 1.5:1:1 h, Synthetic Luminance prepared from them)
Processing: CCDStack, Photoshop CC 2022