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A dense ball of stars sits at the center of the image, becoming less dense as you move away from the center. They are mostly bright-white stars, but red, yellow, blue, and orange stars are also dotted throughout the cluster.
Hubble · Messier 5 · NASA, ESA, G. Piotto (Universita degli Studi di Padova); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Messier 5

Star cluster in Serpens · 24,500 light-years

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TypeStar cluster
ConstellationSerpens
Right ascension15h 18m 34s
Declination+2° 05′
Object distance24,500 light-years
Apparent magnitude6
Apparent size15′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter106.9 light-years across
Also known asM5 · NGC 5904
Messier 5 is a star cluster (also catalogued as NGC 5904) in Serpens — a gravitationally bound family of stars sharing a common origin. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 15 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 6, it is an easy target for binoculars and small telescopes.

Although it appears about 15′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 106.9 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 5

Messier 5 lies in the constellation Serpens and is best placed in the evening sky around May. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. It is a comfortable target for binoculars and small telescopes.

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