M53

Credits: Keith Turnecliff, Nerja, Spain

Messier 53 (M53) is a globular star cluster located in the northern constellation Coma Berenices. The cluster has an apparent magnitude of 8.33 and lies at an approximate distance of 58,000 light years from Earth. It has the designation NGC 5024 in the New General Catalogue.

Facts about M53 by Keith Turnecliff

Messier 53 contains at least 500,000 stars. The stars in the cluster are considered metal-poor, as they contain very little quantities of elements heavier than helium, and are below average in metallicity, even for stars found in a globular cluster. The estimated age of M53 is 12.67 billion years.
The best time to view M53 is during May / early June.