Messier 53 (NGC 5024) Globular Cluster

This cluster of over 500,000 stars is one of the more distant clusters known.
Imagine our galaxy as a flat disc and we are about a third of the way out from the centre.
M53 lies some 58,708 light years above (or to the north) of us and way above this disc.
Discovered in 1775 by Johann Elert Bode, its some 220 light years across and is about 12.67 million years old.
There are 158 know clusters in the milky way at present (I'm sure there are many more to be discovered that are currently hidden by are own galaxy) and at first glance they appear a bit boring, but when you look at them closely they are all different and are quite beautiful.

This image is made from 13 x 180 second exposures @ ISO 1600, stacked in Deepskystacker with 35 each of Darks, Lights and Bias frames.

White Mill Sturminster Marshall

This old 14th century water mill was used to grind corn and animal feed.
It was rebuilt n 1776 and is now owned by the national trust.
This image was taken at sunset but unfortunately the sky stayed dull so I will try again another day.

M82 Bodes galaxy & M81 The cigar galaxy

Both of these superb galaxies are nearly 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

Messier 81 on the left (also known as Bode's Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy first discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774. Its 90,000 light years across and contains more than 250 billion stars.

Messier 82 on the right (also known as the cigar galaxy) is a starburst galaxy.
From our point of view the smaller cigar galaxy is almost side on. Its 38,000 light years across and contains more than 30 billion stars.

Our galaxy The Milky Way is 120,000 light years across and contains around 400 billion stars (one of which is the Sun).

Both galaxies cannot be seen with the naked eye as they are just too faint.
I think its such a shame that these wonders cannot be seen by just gazing at the sky.

Image details include 45 light frames @240 seconds (3 hours) plus 36 dark frames, 34 flat frames and 34 Bias frames. Camera was Canon 40d astromodified and scope was a field flattened skywatcher Evostar ED80 pro. Guided with a Skywatcher ST80 fitted with a ZWOASI120MC camera, software was PHD guiding. Stacked in Deepsky stacker and finished in Photoshop CC.