Clusters & Stars
Messier 5
Messier 5, one of the largest globular clusters, 24,500 light-years away in Serpens – photographed by Pete Lawrence.
Target details
Messier 5 is a globular cluster in Serpens and one of the largest known, 165 light-years across. It lies about 24,500 light-years away and holds more than 100,000 stars – possibly as many as 500,000. In very good conditions it's just visible to the naked eye as a faint 'star' near 5 Serpentis; binoculars show it isn't a star, and larger telescopes start to pick out individual stars.
Capture details
Data captured 30th May, 2017.
31x 4 minute exposures at ISO400.
Equipment details
Skywatcher Quattro 200 CF
NEQ6 Pro
Canon 40d (IR Filter removed)
Skywatcher ST-80 QHY5L-II
Processing details
This image was processed in Pixinsight & Lightroom.