M5 (NGC 5904) -- Globular Cluster in Serpens Caput
The Mesmerizing M5
To me M5 (NGC 5904) is the finest Globular Cluster that I can observe from my deck
with my 155mm telescope. True, a few Globular Clusters are larger and brighter, but
M5 has such a dense core of stars, that contrasts so well with the rest of the cluster, that
I find it more interesting as a visual object in the small telescope, at my house, than any
other Globular Cluster in the night sky. This cluster is 13 billion years old and consists of
a quarter of a million stars. I find, on a cold night with a hot cup of coffee in-hand, the
sight of 25,000 year-old light from this Globular Cluster shinning through my eyepiece
truly mesmerizing.
with my 155mm telescope. True, a few Globular Clusters are larger and brighter, but
M5 has such a dense core of stars, that contrasts so well with the rest of the cluster, that
I find it more interesting as a visual object in the small telescope, at my house, than any
other Globular Cluster in the night sky. This cluster is 13 billion years old and consists of
a quarter of a million stars. I find, on a cold night with a hot cup of coffee in-hand, the
sight of 25,000 year-old light from this Globular Cluster shinning through my eyepiece
truly mesmerizing.