Object: NGC 5272

Camera: Meade DSI-Pro

Date: 04/20/2006

Exposure: R:G:B 10':17':13'

Location: West Boylston, MA

Processing:

• Individual channels aligned/combined with Registax.
• Each channel merged in Adobe Photoshop 7.0.
• Stars resized for equality and color saturation adjusted in Adobe PhotoShop 7.0.
• Some minor curves and levels adjustments.
• Minor unsharp mask applied to each channel prior to merge.

Description:
NGC5272 (also known as M3) is one of the most outstanding globular clusters, containing an estimated half million stars. At a distance of about 33,900 light years, it is further away than the center of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, but still shines at magnitude 6.2, as its absolute magnitude is about -8.93, corresponding to a luminosity of about 300,000 times that of our sun. M3 is thus visible to the naked eye under very good conditions - and a superb object with the slightest optical aid. Its apparent diameter of 18.0 arc minutes corresponds to a linear extension of about 180 light years. This information taken directly from http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m003.html