MESSIER 19

(GLOBULAR CLUSTER IN OPHIUCHUS )

 (Image Centred at ra 17h:02m / dec -26:16)

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A HIGHER RESOLUTION VIEW

September 2015 - Camping La Porteña, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

Type: Globular Cluster

Apparent Magnitude: 7.2

Apparent diameter: 13.5 arc minutes 

Distance: 28.400 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

OPTICS: 8" f5 Orion Optics Reflector with Televue Paracorr working at 5.75

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS  

FILTERS: Baader LRGB

MOUNT: Sky Watcher NEQ6

SKY CONDITIONS: rural skies.

EXPOSURES: LRGB (40,30,30,30) RGB shots at bin 2x2

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

Messier 19 is the most oblate known globular cluster. American Astronomer Harlow Shapley estimated that there could be counted twice as many stars along the major axis as along the minor. The deformation of the globular shape may  have to do with the proximity to the Galaxy Center. While 28.400 light years away from as Messier 19 is quite near the center of our Milky Way, just 5.200 light years away.

Messier 19 can be easy found about 8 degrees east from Antares. It is fairly rich, dense and considerable concentrated spreading about 140 light years among the mayor axis. It was one of the originals discoveries of Charles Messier detected on June 5 of 1764.