M56 – Globular Cluster in Lyra
 

Messier 56 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra, near the double star, Alberio, in Cygnus. M56 is about 85 light years in diameter, and is approximately 32,000 light years away from us.


M71 globular star cluster


Equipment
 TMB-130SS APO refractor at f/7 on a Losmandy G-11 equatorial mount
SBIG ST-8XM camera
SBIG CFW-10 filter wheel with Astrodon filters
Guiding: 60mm f/5 refractor and ST-402 camera
Imaging and autoguiding with MaxIm DL 4.57
Exposure
Luminance   30 minutes (30 x 1 min.), unbinned, -20°C
Red   18 minutes (18 x 1 min.) binned 2x2, -20°C
Green   26 minutes (26 x 1 min.) binned 2x2, -20°C
Blue   30 minutes (30 x 1 min.) binned 2x2, -20°C
Processing Dark and flat-frame processing in CCDStack
Statistical-combined in CCDStack
Levels, curves, color-combine in Photoshop CS3
Date and Location 15 October 2007
Montpelier, VA    N 37° 49' 12", W 77° 42' 06"