Messier 50 - The Heart-Shaped Cluster

Messier 50, also known as NGC 2323 or the Heart-shaped Cluster, is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Monoceros. It was recorded by G. D. Cassini before 1711 and independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1772 while observing Biela's Comet. It is sometimes described as a 'heart-shaped' figure or a blunt arrowhead.

Messier 50 is about 2,900 light-years away from Earth and contains 508 stars that are confirmed to be a part of the cluster and another 109 that probably members.

Traditionally considered to be a single star cluster, in 2025 it was found to consist of two separate sub-clusters (NGC 2323-a and NGC 2323-b), making it a binary cluster.
Equipment:
OTA: Apertura 6" Ritchey-Chrétien Reflector (f/9)
Reducer: Astro-Physics CCDT67 0.67x Reducer (f/6)
Filter: SVBONY CLS City Light Supression filter
Camera: ZWO ASI183MC Pro Cooled Color Camera (20.1 mp)
Mount: Explore Scientific EX02GT w/PMC-8
30×30s subs (20 minutes) captured/stacked in SharpCap 4.1
Processed with GraXpert, Topaz Denoise, Siril