Messier 54, NGC 6715

by Willem Jan Drijfhout

Objects in field: M 54, NGC 6715

Equipment: Planewave CDK14, Moravian Instruments C3-61000 PRO

Integration: 6h 12m

Messier 54, also known as NGC 6715, is a globular cluster located in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier on July 24, 1778. M54 lies at a distance of approximately 87,000 light-years from Earth, making it considerably more distant than most other globular clusters in the Messier catalogue. It spans a true diameter of roughly 150 light-years and reaches an apparent…