Messier 3 - NGC 5272

Messier 3 (M3 or NGC 5272) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. It was discovered on May 3, 1764, and was the first Messier object to be discovered by Charles Messier himself. Messier originally mistook the object for a nebula without stars. This mistake was corrected after the stars were resolved by William Herschel around 1784.Since then, it has become one of the best-studied globular clusters. Identification of the cluster's unusually large variable star population was begun in 1913 by American astronomer Solon Irving Bailey and new variable members continue to be identified up through 2004.

 

This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old. It is located at a distance of about 33,900 light-years away from Earth.

 

Aquired on April 2020

 

Luminance - 185 x 60 sec

Red - 30 x 120 sec

Green - 30 x 120 sec

Blue - 30 x 120 sec

 

Total integration time - 6:05 hours

 

Imaging telescope, mount and camera:

 

TS Optics Ritchey-Chrétien 203/1080-1624 mm with 0.67x AP reducer.

 

Celestron CGEM-DX

 

ASI1600MM-Cool

 

Processed with: Pixinsight and Photoshop CC

 

Location:

 

Home Backyard, Geleen, Limburg, Netherlands (Bortle 6/7)

Done