M19

 

M19 is the most elliptical of all globular clusters, revealing perhaps twice as many stars along the major axis as along the minor, although it does not appear this much distorted in amateur telescopes. Some astronomers have speculated that it may have suffered gravitational stretching due to its proximity to the core of our Milky Way which lies only about 5,000 light-years from the cluster. Being quite large physically, M19 appears half the size of the moon when viewed with larger instruments, even though its distance is 28,000 light-years from Earth.

Image taken through moonlight on June 26, 2012, with the C-14 operating at F:3.5 and the ST-8 binned 2 X 2. Exposure is 100 seconds. While showing more stars around the cluster, it is actually overexposed. The image below, taken several years earlier with the 402 camera, is better exposed and reveals more of the cluster core.

Date and exposure information lost but likely taken at F:7 or F:11 with the 402 camera.