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| M68, A Globular Cluster, - this image cropped and reduced from the original photo, Click on photo above for a full frame full rez image. |
| This 7.8th magnitude globular cluster lies at a distance of about 33,000 light years, and its members are spread over a volume of about 106 light years diameter. Former catalogs systematically give fainter visual magnitudes, probably because this southern cluster was estimated from northern observers. M68 is quite difficult to observe for Northern observers because of its southern declination of 26 degrees below the celestial equator. For that reason it's difficult to photograph well too. A faint patch in binoculars, the brightest stars of M68 are resolved by telescopes starting from 4-inch aperture under good conditions; these instruments show a mottled round nebulous patch with a bright center, gradually fading to its edges. A 6-inch resolves the outer parts of this cluster, a halo of 12' diameter. Larger telescopes show its nature as a rich cluster well to the core. It can be located about 40 degrees below the Virgo Cluster of galaxies behind Leo. |
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10"
F6.3 Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, (1600mm F.L.) Modified Canon
300D camera with IR-UV filter, placed at the scopes prime focus |