Globular clusters are among the oldest structures in our galaxy. In these densely packed, spherical swarms, hundreds of thousands to millions of stars crowd together in a small space, so dense at the core that even large telescopes struggle to resolve them. They orbit the Milky Way in a vast halo and date back to the early universe. Magnificent examples like the Hercules Cluster, M13, are among the most striking targets of the summer sky. Photographically, the appeal lies in the transition from the bright, compact core to the scattered outer stars – resolving it cleanly without overexposing the centre is the real art. Globular clusters are bright enough for shorter exposures but benefit greatly from good seeing and precise tracking, so the individual stars stay crisp. This page gathers every globular cluster I have photographed so far. Click into any object to learn more about it and see all the astrophoto posts it appears in.
The Intergalactic Wanderer is a globular cluster in the constellation Lynx, lying about 271,000 light-years away, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed mid January ...
Caldwell 47 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Delphinus, approximately 52,000 light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed in late July and early August from the Northern Hemisphere ...
Messier 3 is a bright globular cluster in the constellation Canes Venatici, approximately 34,000 light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed in mid April ...
Messier 5 is a bright and rich globular cluster in the constellation Serpens, approximately 24,500 light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed in mid May ...
Messier 13, also known as the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, is a prominent globular star cluster located in the constellation Hercules, approximately 22,000 to 25,000 light-years from Earth, and is best observed in early June ...
Messier 15 is a striking globular cluster located in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of approximately 33,600 light years from Earth; it reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed mid August ...
Messier 53 is a globular star cluster located in the constellation Coma Berenices, about 58,000 light-years from Earth, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed in mid April ...
M 56 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra, located about 32,600 light-years away, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed mid July ...
M 71 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagitta, located roughly 13,000 light-years away, and reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed late July ...
Messier 92, a bright and compact globular cluster in the constellation Hercules located about 26,700 to 27,000 light-years from Earth, reaches its annual culmination at astronomical midnight and is best observed in early June ...
