Globular clusters 2020

[hhzhang]

Building a collection of globular clusters through a refractor.

M2

A pretty large one --- 55,000 ly away it still shines at mag6.3 with an apparent size of 16' (thanks to its 175 ly across).

M2 is part of the Gaia Sausage, the hypothesised remains of a merged dwarf galaxy.

[hhzhang]

Copied from an earlier post.

M4 -- one of the best shows of a globular cluster.

[hhzhang]

Copied from an earlier post.

M92. Not very spectacular view. But it is nonetheless one of the few oldest.

[hhzhang]

[Copied from an earlier post]

M13 -- it deserves a much better imaging session to show its glorious status. But already past its prime times for 2020.

A pity. Let me treat it well in 2021!

[hhzhang]

[Copied from an earlier post]

M5 -- like M13 it deserves a much better imaging session to show its glorious status. But already past its prime times for 2020.

Again a pity. Let me treat it well in 2021!

[Airconvent]

Good list hhzhang. You must be waiting for Omeg Centauri too! Right now don't forget M22. Within range

[hhzhang]

NGC2419 The faintest GC I ever like to shot using the current gear under Bortle8-9 skies -- because it is the most distant one that can be resolved.

The nickname "intergalactic wanderer" turns out not correct. At ~300,000 ly away, it still revolves around the Milky Way.

[hhzhang]

The fabulous GC of 47 Tucanae (NGC104). But never rise above 17deg in Singapore skies.

Oct-19 night. ECP. Clear skies.



My new little scope 70mm APO. Super cute body but fantastic optics for razer sharp and color-free images.

[hhzhang]

Central part crop.

[hhzhang]

When the skies give no chance, there are always old good astrophotography exposures to (re-)explore.

It happened that in my recent processing of the NGC104 image, I missed one important body near the line of sight of NGC104.

The NGC121, a GC in our dear neighbour galaxy SMC.

Hah. Such a wonderful duel! Who is the boss? The shinny glorious 47 Tucanae, or the dim modest, hard to appreciate NGC121?

Facts: NGC121 is 175ly across at 200kly distance, 47 Tuc is 60ly across at 13kly. Now, who is the clear winner?