Messier 14 – Messier 15
Messier 14
Messier 14 with amateur telescope. Image source: [1]
This globular cluster, has an apparent magnitude of 9.5 and is 27,000 light years away in the constellation Ofiuco. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. Messier 14 contains about 100,000 stars. It can be easily seen with binoculars. With medium-sized telescopes you can see some of their individual stars.
Messier 15
M15 photographed by HST. The planetary nebula Pease 1 can be seen as a small blue object to the upper left of the core of the cluster. Image source: [2]
The globular cluster Messier 15, also known as NGC 7078, is located in the constellation Pegasus and was discovered by Jean Dominique Meraldi in 1746.
Messier 15 is one of the 150 globular clusters remaining in the galaxy and can be easily seen with binoculars. Its center is one of the densest concentrations of known stars and is characterized by a large number of variable stars and pulsars.
It is about 33,600 light-years from the earth, estimated to be composed of more than 100,000 stars, is one of the densest clusters known and has an age of 12 billion years.
This cluster hides other curiosities inside. The majority of photos show a small blue star halfway to its core, which with greater magnification is revealed as a planetary nebula, called Pease 1 or Kuster 648, making Messier 15 into one of four globular clusters with planetary nebulae known in its interior.
Deep Broadband (RGB) image of M15 from the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter. Image source: [2]
Messier 15 with amateur telescope. Image source: [3]
