M14 - Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus | Astrophotography Pictures and Tips
M14 astrophotography in Ophiuchus! Learn to find and capture this beautiful globular cluster using a telescope.
top of page
Star Cluster Astrophotography
We have imaged many star clusters on our hunt to capture all Messier objects. The Messier catalog contains 56 Star Clusters, 29 globular clusters, and 27 open clusters.
For star clusters, we recommend spending an hour of total exposure time. Even with a low total exposure time they look great, however, some are complex and require more time. The Pleiades Cluster (M45) is a great example because it contains nebulous gas illuminated by the stars.
Further below you will find posts on star clusters we have imaged. Read more about the target, the gear we used, as well as all the acquisition details.
How Many Types of Star Clusters are there?
There are four types of star clusters known but only two types are found in the Milky Way galaxy. These are Globular Clusters and Open Clusters. The other two are found far out of our galaxy: Intermediate and Faint Fuzzies.
1) Globular Clusters
In two words, Globular Clusters are old and rich.
These almost always appear round and very busy. There are about 150 globular clusters in our Milky Way.
Do you think that living on a planet orbiting one of these stars means it is always daytime?
Imagine hundreds of "suns" in your sky, 24/7.
2) Open Clusters
Unlike Globular Clusters, these are young and much less populated.
1,100 (and counting) Open Clusters have been discovered in the Milky Way galaxy. The most famous ones are the Pleiades and the nearby Hyades, both easily visible to the naked eye.
Most are home to just a few thousand stars, loosely bound by gravity.
3) Intermediate Clusters
Only a few of these types of clusters have been discovered, and they were all in M31 (The Andromeda Galaxy).
They look like Globular clusters but are much larger and there is significantly more space between each star.
These clusters are so huge that they are defined as being between a globular cluster and a dwarf galaxy.
4) Faint Fuzzies
Another type of star cluster we can't see is faint fuzzies.
Just like Intermediate Clusters, these are much larger in size and are not found in the Milky Way.
They have only been discovered in lenticular galaxies and appear to be located in the ring area around the galaxy's center.
Love learning about astrophotography? Support us on Patreon and see the benefits for each tier.
Star Cluster Astrophotography Resources
Check out all the star cluster photographs we've taken in the posts below. We outline what gear we used, the time spent on each targets, and the acquisition details.
- Jun 12
- 5 min
M23 - Open Cluster In Sagittarius | Astrophotography
Learn how to photograph Messier 23 (M23), a beautiful open star cluster in Sagittarius with some beautiful Milky Way dust in the background!
- Feb 23
- 5 min
M72 - Globular Cluster in Aquarius | Astrophotography Pictures and Tips
Messier 72 astrophotography using a RASA telescope under dark skies! Learn tips for capturing this faint globular cluster in Aquarius.
- Nov 30, 2023
- 6 min
M73 - Asterism in Aquarius | Astrophotography Pictures and Tips
M73 Astrophotography in Aquarius! Learn tips and tricks for capturing this dim and small asterism that was once believed to be a cluster.
- Nov 14, 2023
- 8 min
The Hyades Mosaic - The Closest Open Cluster to Earth | Astrophotography
The Hyades astrophotography doing a 3x3 mosaic! Learn how to capture the closest open cluster to Earth and reveal all the dust behind it.
- Oct 27, 2023
- 4 min
M75 - Globular Cluster in Sagittarius | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
M75 astrophotography tips and images. M75 is a globular cluster in Sagittarius. It is one of the most distant and dense globular clusters.
- Oct 24, 2023
- 8 min
M15 - The Pegasus Globular Cluster With IFN | Astrophotography
M15 astrophotography with the faint IFN surrounding the Pegasus globular cluster.
- Oct 19, 2023
- 5 min
M12 - The Gumball Cluster in Ophiuchus | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
M12 astrophotography with a color camera! Get tips, images, and more to capture the Gumball globular cluster in Ophiuchus.
- Sep 19, 2023
- 6 min
Messier 26 - Open Cluster in Scutum | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
Messier 26 is an open cluster in Scutum. This was a difficult cluster we ever had to process because of the number of stars!
- Sep 15, 2023
- 6 min
M44 - The Beehive Cluster in Cancer | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
Messier 44 is a bright and popular open cluster in the constellation Cancer. It is large and best observed and captured with a small...
- Jul 24, 2023
- 7 min
Messier 24 - The Sagittarius Star Cloud | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
Messier 24, also known as the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, is a large region of sky that is completely filled with stars. This...
- Jun 9, 2023
- 4 min
Messier 53 - Globular Cluster in Coma Berenices Astrophotography
M53 is an open cluster located 58,000 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. M53 is home to hundreds of thousands of stars.
- May 11, 2023
- 4 min
Messier 93 - Open Cluster in Puppis | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
Open Cluster Messier 93 photographed using RGB filters. M93 lies in the constellation Puppis and is easy for beginner astrophotographers.
- Apr 24, 2023
- 5 min
Messier 48 - Open Cluster in Hydra
Messier 48 is an easy target to image for beginner astrophotographers. Discover more about this star cluster and how we photographed it.
- Apr 6, 2023
- 7 min
Messier 37 - The Salt and Pepper Open Cluster in Auriga
M37 is the brightest and largest open cluster in Auriga. Discover more about this object and photograph it with our astrophotography tips.
- Nov 17, 2022
- 10 min
NGC 869 & NGC 884 - The Double Cluster in Perseus Astrophotography
Revealing the hidden beauty in the Double Cluster in Perseus. These two open clusters are overlapping a lot of faint hydrogen-alpha gas!
- Aug 30, 2021
- 3 min
Messier 107 - A Loose Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
The constellation Ophiuchus holds a loose star cluster - Messier 107. This object has many beautiful yellow stars. See our photo of M107.
- Jul 28, 2021
- 3 min
Messier 92 - A Bright and Impressive Globular Cluster
An impressive globular cluster that is great for beginner astrophotographers is Messier 92. Learn more about this deep-sky object.
- May 4, 2021
- 3 min
Messier 5 - A Globular Cluster in Serpens
Messier 5 is a globular cluster in the constellation Serpens. Beginner astrophotographers can learn from our capture of M5. Learn more.
- Apr 22, 2021
- 3 min
Messier 3 - 1 Hour on a Bright Globular Cluster
Messier 3 is a globular cluster located in Canes Venatici. In just one hour, we were able to capture this cluster with more than 274 stars.
- Apr 21, 2021
- 3 min
M46 and M47 - Two Open Clusters and a Hidden Nebula Astrophotography
Messier 46 and Messier 47 are two open clusters in the constellations Puppis. See example photos and a hidden nebula in our post.
- Jan 19, 2021
- 4 min
Messier 13 - The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Messier 13 is a top globular cluster to observe and photograph from the northern hemisphere. See our attempts at photographing this cluster.
- Nov 13, 2020
- 2 min
Messier 67 - The King Cobra Cluster in Cancer
Made up of at least 500 stars, Messier 67 is one of the most studied open clusters. Find out what this cluster looks like in this post.
- Nov 10, 2020
- 2 min
Messier 50 - An Open Cluster in Monoceros
Messier 50 is another rarely photographed deep-sky object and is located in the constellation Monoceros. Find out more about this target.
- Oct 19, 2020
- 3 min
Messier 56 - Backyard Astrophotography Without Filters or Calibration Frames
Messier 56 is a rarely photographed star cluster in the constellation Lyra. We used a new telescope and camera and imaged for just 1 hour.
- Oct 15, 2020
- 9 min
Messier 45 - The Pleiades Star Cluster
The Pleiades Star Cluster (M45) is a fantastic Astrophotography target for beginners. See images of our progress over the years!
- Jul 16, 2020
- 3 min
Messier 29 - An Open Cluster in (Almost) Heaven
Messier 29 is a small and faint open cluster in the constellation of Cygnus. We didn't expect much, but we were surprised while processing!
- Jul 16, 2020
- 3 min
Messier 30 - A Globular Cluster in Capricornus
We captured Messier 30 on a whim! We managed to get a nice photo with only 30 minutes of integration time! Learn more about this object.
- Jun 17, 2020
- 2 min
Messier 10 - A Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
Messier 10 is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1764 and spans about two-thirds the size of the...
- May 6, 2020
- 3 min
Messier 4 and Antares in Scorpius - A Cluster near Nebulosity
Messier 4 is a great target for summer and with the right telescope and camera, you can capture the bright star Antares and nebulosity!
- Nov 30, 2019
- 2 min
Messier 36 - The Pinwheel Cluster in Auriga
One of the closest open clusters to Earth is Messier 36 located in Auriga. Learn how we photographed this star cluster.
- Nov 25, 2019
- 2 min
Messier 38 - The Starfish Cluster in Auriga
Messier 38 is an open cluster of stars located 4,200 light-years away in the constellation Auriga. Find out how we captured this object.
- Nov 14, 2019
- 3 min
Messier 71 - Globular Cluster in Sagitta
Messier 71 is a star cluster located about 12,000 light-years away. Take a look at our acquisition details and how we captured it.
- Nov 9, 2019
- 3 min
Messier 103 - Open Cluster in Cassiopeia with a Twist
Open Cluster Messier 103 astrophotography with the ASI 1600MM-Pro and Orion 8" Newtonian. Check out how we captured it.
- Aug 18, 2018
- 2 min
Messier 2 - Globular Cluster in Aquarius
Messier 2 is located in the constellation of Aquarius and is a faint object but still visible to the eye under dark skies. Learn more.
- Mar 18, 2018
- 2 min
Messier 35 - Open Cluster in Gemini
Despite a failed night of guiding, we photographed Messier 35 and a companion target. Get tips and learn more in our post.
- Nov 25, 2017
- 2 min
Messier 34 - Open Cluster in Perseus
Messier 34 is an open cluster that is not often photographed, but it is a simple beginner astrophotographer target. Learn more about this de
- Nov 25, 2017
- 5 min
M11 - The Wild Duck Cluster | Astrophotography Tips & Pictures
The Wild Duck Cluster is located in the constellation Scutum. Find out how to photograph this star cluster and see photo examples.
- Nov 15, 2017
- 2 min
Messier 39 - Open Cluster in Cygnus Astrophotography
Another cluster photographed as a "secondary target" to end the night: Messier 39! M39 is an open star cluster in the constellation of...
bottom of page