M22

M22 is a very bright globular cluster and can be seen on an image of Sagittarius as a white star. At magnitude 5, it is one of the brightest globulars and is easily seen with the naked eye in a dark sky, except from the northern-most parts of the U.S. Only 10,400 light-years from Earth, this cluster contains at least 70,000 stars in a volume of space approximately 200 light-years across. M22 contains a planetary nebula, rare among globulars, and recent Hubble images indicate that a number of planet-sized objects reside there. Visual observers with small telescopes see only a few of the brightest stars in the cluster but a larger instrument reveals the multitudes of fainter members.

Taken September 21, 2009, with the ST-8 camera and the C-14 operating at F:7. 5 minutes exposure using T & A.