A Gem Found in the Water Bearer

Object Type: Globular Cluster
Location: Fredericksburg, Texas, USA
Date: 08/02/11
Time: 02:05 CDT
Conditions: Clear; Seeing 3/5; Transparency 4/5
Equipment: 280mm SCT, 22mm EP
Medium: Graphite pencil and blending stump on white paper.
scanned and color inverted.

This evening was one of the best views I’ve had of this well-
resolved globular cluster. It’s in the constellation Aquarius
and is just about 37.5 k light years away from us with a
diameter of 175 light years containing some 150k stars.

Things are looking up,
John E.