NGC 2571 is a fascinating intermediate age star cluster located in the northern constellation Puppis. It was first discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1793, and since then, it has been a subject of numerous studies and observations by astronomers.

One of the studies on this star cluster was conducted in 2001 by researchers who determined that NGC 2571 is approximately 50±10×10⁶ years old, and is located at a distance of 1380±130 pc. This study also identified a white dwarf candidate within the cluster.

To further study this star cluster, I collected 15 images using the Skynet Prompt5 telescope located at Cerro Tololo. The telescope is a CCD telescope with an aperture size of 0.4 meters, and I used a B, V, and R filter with different exposure times to capture the images. After stacking the images to reduce noise, the author used Cluster Pro Plus to analyze the data and determine information about the stars in the cluster.

Interestingly, the calculations for the distance and age of NGC 2571 using Cluster Pro Plus were quite different from the results of the 2001 study. According to Cluster Pro Plus, the cluster is 4.69 kpc and 1.1 trillion years old, which highlights the importance of multiple studies and observations to accurately determine the characteristics of celestial objects.

The Cluster Pro Plus analysis also revealed four bright blue stragglers within the star cluster, with two of the brightest blue stars located right beside each other. Additionally, there was a very bright red giant off to the right of the image, adding to the overall complexity and beauty of this star cluster.

Despite the initial difficulty I faced while analyzing this star cluster, the process was enjoyable and rewarding, with the colorized pictures of NGC 2571 providing a sense of joy and wonder. NGC 2571 is just one example of the many celestial objects that continue to fascinate and inspire astronomers around the world.