M3 (also known as NGC 5272) is a globular cluster. It's about 34,000 light-years away and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It's one of the most beautiful globular clusters, easily seen in a moderate-sized amateur telescope.

Technical Information       

Date:                        June, 2013

Location:                 Green Valley, Arizona

Telescope:               Takahashi FSQ-106EDX

Camera:                   SBIG STT-8300M

Filters:                      Astrodon Gen 2

Mount:                     AstroPhysics 1200

Exposure:                 LRGB = 270:60:60:60 minutes, all unbinned

Software:                  Acquisition: Maxim DL 5, TheSkyX, Pinpoint, CCD Commander

                                  Processing: CCDStack, PhotoShop CS6 with various plugins