M71

Globular Cluster in the Constellation Sagitta

Messier 71 (also known as M71 or NGC 6838) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagitta. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1746 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of comet-like objects in 1780.  M71 lies at a distance from Earth of about 12,000 light years, spans some 27 light years across.  M71 has a relatively young age of 9-10 billion years. This relative youth of the cluster also explains the abundance of "metals" in its stars.

Image Details:

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  • Instrument: Orion 120ED Refractor OTA @ f/7.5  (900 mm)
  • Mount: Losmandy GM-8 GoTo
  • Image Scale:  1.9 arc-seconds/pixel after final processing
  • Filters & Exposure Times:
    • L:    12 x 5 minutes, binned 1x1
    • R:    12 x 5 minutes, binned 2x2
      G:    6 x 5 minutes, binned 2x2
      B:    6 x 5 minutes, binned 2x2
  • Camera: SBIG ST-2000XM CCD Camera with AO-7 Adaptive Optics  and CFW-8 Color Filter Wheel
  • Software: Maxim DL/CCD, Adobe Photoshop, RC Astro Gradient X-Terminator, Neat Image Pro
  • Location: Little Rock, AR., El. 350ft.  C.A.A.S. East Observatory
  • Date: October 1st, 2007