About this Object:
Messier 12 or M 12 (also designated NGC 6218) is a globular cluster in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It was discovered by Charles Messier on May 30, 1764. Located roughly 3° in the sky from the cluster M10, M12 is about 16,000 light-years from Earth and has a spatial diameter of about 75 light-years. The brightest stars of M12 are of 12th magnitude. It is rather loosely packed for a globular and was once thought to be a tightly concentrated open cluster. Thirteen variable stars have been recorded in this cluster.

About this Photo:
Location: From my driveway in Georgetown, Texas
Telescope: Celestron C9.25 @ F10
Mount: HEQ-5
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider / Tauruss Tracker III
Camera: Canon 40D Modified
Exposure: 9 x 180 sec @ ISO 1600 (27 min.)
Filter: Astronomik CLS
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 3.75 Camera Control
Processing: ImagesPlus 3.75 – Darks,Flats,Bias
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3; Gradient Exterminator; Noise Ninja; Noel Carboni's Tools; Star Spikes Pro
Date(s): August 13, 2010
Temperature(s): 90-87º F