The latest image from Kissimmee Park Observatory is this shot of the massive globular cluster, Messier 3 (M3 or NGC 5272), which is located in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici, just across the border from Bootes, and about 10 degrees above the bright orange beacon Arcturus.
Many amateur astronomers consider it one of the finest northern globular clusters, following only Messier 13. This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 8 billion years old. It is located at a distance of about 33,900 light-years away from Earth.
Click on the image for a larger version.
Image Info
Canon 60D with an Astronomik CLS LPR filter, at the prime focus of the KPO 18″ Reflector. 23 subframes of 120 seconds, for a total integration time of 46 minutes. All frames taken at ISO 3200. Images captured in Nebulosity, processed in StarTools, and finished in Aperture.