Canon 350D Hap Griffin Baader Mod
6x180sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Celestron 9.25 reduced 0.63

Sky and Telescope Online Gallery May 23, 2008

Messier 14 (also known as M14 or NGC 6402) is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764.

At a distance of about 30,000 light-years (twice the distance of M10 and M12), M14 contains several hundred thousand stars. At a brightness of magnitude 7.6 it can be easily observed with binoculars and medium sized telescopes begin to show some hint of the individual stars of which the brightest is of magnitude +14.

The total luminosity of M14 is in the order of 400,000 times that of the Sun corresponding to an absolute magnitude of -9.12. The shape of the cluster is decidedly elongated or ovoid. M14 spans about 100 light-years across.

M14 contains the considerably large number of over 70 variables, many of them W Virginis stars.

Globular cluster M14 was the first CCD image taken, according to TheSky advertising.

May 12, 2008