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M107
globular cluster in Ophiuchus
M107 is a fairly loose, faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is not one of the brighter ones, but it sits in the same rich part of the sky as M10 and M12, and its looser core makes the stars easy to resolve.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- M107
- Type
- globular cluster
- Constellation
- Ophiuchus
- Size
- 10′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 7.9
- Distance
- about 20,900 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- May
- Typical prime months
- Mar to Aug
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband)
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How to image M107
- At 10 arcminutes, use 1,000 mm or more.
- It is a faint target, so extra exposure time helps.
- Dec -13 makes it moderately low from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M107 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 12% |
| 2,000 mm | about 25% |
| 3,000 mm | about 37% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M107 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 22° | Stays low |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 32° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 42° | Workable |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 52° | Workable |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 68° | High in the sky |
Also worth imaging
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