SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
massimo.difusco
Location of Photo:
Rio Hurtado (Chile)
Date/Time of photo:
05/06/2025
Equipment:
Data acquired at Chilescope: ASA Newton 500 @1900mm, ASA DDM85 equatorial mount, FLI PL16803 CCD camera, Astrodon R/G/B filters
Description:
Messier 72 (also known as M72 or NGC 6981) is a globular star cluster located in the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer. It has an apparent magnitude of 9.35, lies at a distance of 54570 light years from Earth and is believed to be about 9.5 billion years old. M72 is one of the smallest, faintest and most remote clusters listed in Messier’s catalogue, roughly twice as far away from us as the galactic centre, but it is also one of the most intrinsically luminous Messier clusters.
