Globular Cluster - Messier 71
Taken by Tom Wildoner on June 15, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
Click photo for larger image
| |
Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2026:09:02 15:46:15
|
|
| More images
Details:
Messier 71, also cataloged as M71 or NGC 6838, is a globular cluster located approximately 13,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagitta. Spanning about 27 light-years across, it was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1780. For many years, astronomers debated whether M71 was a densely packed open cluster or a loosely concentrated globular cluster; modern studies have confirmed it as a metal-rich globular cluster featuring a relatively sparse central core and lacking the bright giant stars typically found in similar stellar systems.
🔭 Technical Details:
Telescope: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT with Antares Focal Reducer
Camera: ZWO ASI071MC (cooled to 0C) BIN2
Mount: Celestron CGX-L pier mounted
Capture: 85 x 60 seconds
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: DeepSkyStacker + PixInsight
Image Date: June 15, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
|
|
|
