Splash of Stars! Sparkling Globular Cluster Wows Skywatcher

Globular Cluster M2 by Ron Brecher
This stunning image of globular cluster M2 was taken by astrophotographer Ron Brecher from Guelph, Ontario in September 2013. (Image credit: Ron Brecher)

Stars appear to flow out like water from this stunning image of globular cluster M2. The image was taken by astrophotographer Ron Brecher from Guelph, Ontario in September 2013 and recently shared with Space.com.

"It's a pretty splash of stars through the eyepiece in any size of telescope, but to see the colors of the cluster stars well you need to image it (although there are stars nearby that are colorful in the eyepiece)," Brecher wrote in and email to Space.com. 

M2 is a bright globular cluster located in the constellation Aquarius. Globular clusters orbit around the main body of our host galaxy, the Milky Way and contain several hundred thousand to a million stars . This one has about 150,000 stars, the brightest being red and yellow giants. 

"This cluster is so eye-catching that it is easy to miss seeing some of the many galaxies in this field,” he added.

Photo details: Brecher used a SBIG STL-11000M camera, Baader LRGB filters, 10" f/6.8 ASA astrograph, Paramount MX.  Guided with STL-11000's internal guider, Focus with FocusMax and all controlled with CCD Commander.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share it with Space.com and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

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Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.