M70, NGC 6681

M70 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It has a very dense core, and this image has been quite thoroughly stretched to show both the inner crowding and the outer more sparse regions. M70 is about 65 light-years across and about 30000 light-years away. This composite was created from images taken in July 1998 at the KPNO 0.9-meter telescope, during the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program operated at the Kitt Peak National Observatory and supported by the National Science Foundation, supplemented by further images taken in October 1998. Image size 7.9 arc minutes.