M7 Ptolemy's Cluster Blazing in Scorpius Milky Way
Sunday, June 14th, 2026 at 5:03:34 AM · 2026/Astrophotography
M7, the Ptolemy Cluster, is a bright open star cluster nestled in the tail of Scorpius, one of the finest naked-eye clusters in the southern Milky Way. This wide-field image reveals the cluster's brilliant blue-white stars standing out prominently against the dense, golden-brown star clouds and dark dust lanes of the Milky Way. The image was captured with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II at 300mm f/5.6, stacking 45 x 13-second exposures at ISO 3200 for a total integration of roughly 9.8 minutes. The rich interplay of bright stellar regions and opaque dark nebulae gives the scene dramatic depth and texture, showcasing the complexity of the inner Milky Way. A second bright yellow-orange star or small cluster is visible in the upper right, likely Antares or a neighboring deep-sky object in Scorpius.
Chronologically Adjacent
