Observation by Martin Butcher: M5 or NGC5904

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

Martin Butcher

Observed

2012 Mar 09 - 03:36

Uploaded

2021 Aug 09 - 20:14

Objects

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Constellation

Serpens Caput

Field centre

RA: 15^h18^m
Dec: +02°05'
Position angle: +20°15'

Field size

0°51' × 0°35'

Equipment

Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge.
LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled.
Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens
Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.
Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4
Telescope driven but unguided

Exposure

One hundred sub-exposures each 30 seconds taken at ISO1600. Ambient temperature minus 6 degrees Celsius.

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

Title

M5 or NGC5904

About this image

At 13 billion years of age, M5 is believed to be one of the oldest globular clusters in our galaxy, over twice the age of our Solar System. Located 24,500 light-years from Earth, it is home to more than 100,000 stars, with some estimates saying it has as many as 500,000.

Equipment used:- Stock Canon 40D mounted at Prime Focus on Meade LX-90 8” telescope (focal ratio f/10 focal length 2,000mm) with a 0.63x Focal Reducer (giving an effective focal ratio of f/6.3 and focal length 1,270mm) fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge. Telescope Polar Aligned. LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled. Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and operating. Telescope driven but unguided. Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.

Exposure details:- One hundred sub-exposures each 30 seconds taken at ISO1600. Ambient temperature minus 6 degrees Celsius.

Processing details:- After quality control 82 sub-exposures calibrated with Dark, Flat-field and Bias Master frames before being combined in Images Plus. Image then further processed in Photoshop CS3 and Noise Ninja. North is at the top.

Narrative description:- Twenty two days after New Moon, the Moon did not clear hills to the east until after imaging was completed. The weather was calm, cold and clear with dew.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherNGC5904 or M5.jpg (122.9 kB)

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