The upper panel shows a stellar density plot of the surroundings of Palomar 5. The cluster is located at the central density peak. An analysis of the surface density distribution of the stars in the field that match the color-luminosity profile of the cluster reveals the well-defined tidal tails, which even show the detailed substructure predicted by theoretical simulations: The bent S-shape around the cluster center and symmetrically distributed density clumps in the tails.
