Combination of 15, 1 minute images unfiltered.
SBIG STL-1001E CCD. 20" f/6.8 Dall-Kirkham cassegrain telescope at prime focus.
NGC 2362 is a compact cluster of mostly brighter stars in Canis Major, surrounding the 4th magnitude star tau canis majoris. Tau is an O-type supergiant star and its membership of NGC 2362 has been contested many times over the years. Currently it is believed to be about 3200 lightyears from the Earth. If it is a member of the cluster, it is one of the most luminous stars known, being more than 50,000 times brighter than the Sun.