M5
Rose Cluster
Object Data
- Catalog Designation
- M5
- Type
- GlobularCluster
- Constellation
- Serpens
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Right Ascension
- 15h 18m 33.2s
- Declination
- +02° 04' 51.7"
- Distance
- 24,500 light-years
- Angular Size
- 17.4
Survey Image
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About M5
Description
M5 is one of the oldest and largest globular clusters known, located about 24,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens Caput. It is estimated to be 13 billion years old and contains over 100,000 stars in a sphere about 165 light-years across. The cluster has a bright, dense core surrounded by a beautiful halo of resolved stars.
Observing Tips
Located about 20 arcminutes north-northwest of the star 5 Serpentis. Visible to the naked eye under very dark skies as a faint star. Binoculars show a bright, round fuzzy patch. A 4-inch telescope begins resolving stars at the edges, while an 8-inch at 150x provides a spectacular view with stars resolved across much of the cluster. Often compared favorably to M13. Best observed from May through August.
History
Discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1702 while observing a comet. Charles Messier found it independently in 1764, describing it as a round nebula. William Herschel resolved it into stars in 1791, counting '200 stars and more.'
Fun Facts
M5 contains 105 known variable stars, the second most of any globular after M3. Its estimated age of 13 billion years makes it one of the oldest objects in the Milky Way. Many astronomers consider M5 to be a more impressive visual target than M13, though it is less famous.
Community Photos (1)
Credit: Chuck Ayoub. License: CC0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026