M 10 (GC)

Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
R.A.Dec.SizeMag SBCnt.StTypeDistanceChart
16h 57m 10.1s-04° 06′ 06.9″20.0′6.612.8VIIGC----
M 10 DSS plate
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 30′ × 30′

Background

M10 is one of the brightest globular clusters in Ophiuchus — magnitude 6.6,  14,300 light-years away. About 11 billion years old. A fairly loose globular, easy to resolve at moderate aperture.

My Observing Notes

25-cm (Club 10-inch LX200): Large with a well-resolved core. Chains of brighter stars streak out from the core; two big chains arc to the top-left and bottom-right, giving the cluster an almost spiral-like shape. A beautiful view.(Saturday, June 2025)

References

Charts

M 10 ultra-wide chart
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
M 10 wide-field chart
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
M 10 finderscope view
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
M 10 eyepiece view
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)