Globular Cluster in Pegasus

The evening skies of fall and winter do not feature as many bright globular clusters as can be seen in the summer, but Messier 15 is a very impressive one.  At magnitude 6, it should be just barely visible to the naked eye under very dark skies, and it is easy to see with binoculars.  Through a telescope of moderate aperture, the cluster has a very bright center, and the periphery has chains of stars streaming away in all directions.

Image details:  13 images, each 150 seconds at ISO 800, taken with a Canon 400D camera through a Meade 12” telescope at f/10.

September 2008