NGC 5617


45 minutes exposure, Fuji Superia 400 film.
5" f/5 refractor, prime focus.

NGC 5617 is a small, compact open cluster of moderately faint stars in Centaurus, close to alpha centauri which is the bright star in the lower left of the photograph. It is situated in a fine field and is an excellent object in a telescope.


45 minutes exposure, Agfa HDC 400 film.
5" f/5 refractor, prime focus.

There are several other scattered open clusters in the photograph. Two of the more promient are Cor 283, situated just below NGC 5617, and Lynga 2, which is visible as a group of bright bluish stars near the right-hand edge.