Globular clusters can be among the most beautiful objects in the night sky, and I rarely miss the chance to see one. Well situated for viewing this time of year is M5 in Serpens Caput. With a diameter of roughly 165 light-years, M5 is one of the larger known globular clusters. And at magnitude 5.8, it’s also bright enough to show some nice detail.
Bright Arcturus is a good starting spot for a star-hop to M5. Imagine a line to the southeast to delta Ophiuchus. A little to the side of that line will be alpha Serpens. At around magnitude 2.7, both of these stars are much dimmer than Arcturus, but are still bright enough to be easily found. M5 can be found roughly across the line from alpha Serpens. It’s not one of the more exact star-hops, but it doesn’t need to be. Once you’re in the area, M5 should show up nicely in your finder scope, giving you the chance to enjoy this bit of deep sky beauty.
