Object Name: M53,
Object Type: Globular Cluster
Location: Fredericksburg, Texas, USA
Date: 06/02/11
Time: 01:30 CDT
Conditions: Clear; Seeing 4/5; Transparency 3/5
Equipment: 280mm SCT, 22mm EP
Medium: Graphite pencil and Blending Stump on white paper. Scanned and color inverted.
This tightly bound spherical collection of over 100,000 rather old stars is roughly 220 light years in diameter, its found in the constellation Coma Berenices. The Globular Cluster was nicely resolved using this scope from a pretty dark site that is some 10 miles out of town.
John Eaccarino
John,
A very fine sketch of this globular cluster. It is high enough in your Texas sky to get a really good look.
Nice post.
Frank 🙂
Thanks Frank, I am also grateful to the friend who lets me
observe from his property (nearly mag. 7 on those really
transparent night’s).