NGC 6231

45 minutes exposure, Fuji Super G 400 wide format film.
300mm f/2.8 Pentax lens.

This image covers the tail of the Scorpion and is a delightful region for a wide-field telescope or binoculars. can still remember my first view of this region with a telescope back in 1969! The brightest cluster is NGC 6231. It is situated about 0.5 degrees north of the bright and colourful, optical pair, zeta1 and zeta2 scorpii. NGC 6231 is a compact cluster of bright stars that makes an attractive view in the telescope. The large nebula above NGC 6231 is IC 4628. This nebula is easily visible in a 6" telescope. On the southern edge of the nebula is the large, scattered cluster, H 12. The small cluster above the nebula is NGC 6242. Further above this cluster is the bright pair of blue stars mu1 and mu2 scorpii. These stars are both members of the huge Scorpius-Centaurus OB association, a grouping that includes most of the brighter stars in Scorpius, Centaurus, Lupus and Crux Australis.