16 arc-minutes in size and with a brightness of 7.7.mag this Globular Cluster,named M12,is one og the brighter ones in the heavens.It´s an easy binocular object under clear skies,but to resolve it into single stars,you need a 20cm-aperture-telescope at minimum.You can find it in the constellation of Opiuchus,in the near of the
star Lambda Ophiuchi.The real distance to us is about 16.000 light-years but is minimiz9ing: M12 comes closer to earth with a velocity of 16 km per second,or 57.600 km/hour!
Many variable stars inside have been disovered.
Charles Messier found this "Nebula without stars" in 1783 as one of his original discoveries.It was William Herschel with his huge instruments who resolved M12 into single stars first in 1783.
The brightest of the two background-galaxies at the bottom half right is labeled PGC1103219.
RA.: 16h 47m 14.18s
Decl.: –01° 56′ 54.7
LRGB image with L = synth.of all, RGB = 7x1200s each,a total of 7.0 hours
80cm f/7 AstroOptik Keller corrected cassegrain FLI Proline 16803 Astrodon LRGB GenII filters
Prompt 7 CTIO/UNC Chile,remote controlled
image processing: Bernd Flach-Wilken
here you see a 74%-look of the FOV of the FLI-CCD-camera. Click here for full resolution.