M53

NGC 5024 · Globular cluster in Coma Berenices

Magnitude: 7.6
Size: 13′
Effective surface brightness: 21.5 mag/arcsec²
Best months: Mar, Apr, May
Declination: +18°
Filter: None (broadband target)

A distant globular in Coma Berenices, one of the outer halo clusters. Modest but easy.

Reachable from mid-northern latitudes (UK, northern US, central Europe) and from the south.

How long with each smart telescope

Total integration for a solid image of the M53, default sub length, recommended filter, and how much of each frame it fills. Click a cell for the full Bortle 1 to 9 table.
Telescope	In frame	Bortle 3 (rural)	Bortle 5 (suburban)	Bortle 7 (urban edge)
ZWO Seestar S5010 s subs	30%	15 min91 subs	23 min139 subs	59 min352 subs
ZWO Seestar S50 Pro10 s subs	16%	17 min101 subs	25 min153 subs	1 h 04 min383 subs
ZWO Seestar S3010 s subs	18%	17 min101 subs	25 min149 subs	1 h362 subs
ZWO Seestar S30 Pro10 s subs	10%	18 min107 subs	27 min163 subs	1 h 07 min405 subs
DwarfLab DWARF 315 s subs	13%	20 min81 subs	33 min131 subs	1 h 27 min350 subs
DwarfLab DWARF mini15 s subs	18%	15 min60 subs	23 min92 subs	58 min234 subs
DwarfLab Draco30 s subs	17%	15 min30 subs	19 min38 subs	48 min97 subs
DwarfLab DWARF II15 s subs	12%	1 h 03 min253 subs	1 h 26 min343 subs	3 h 04 min736 subs
Vaonis Vespera II10 s subs	15%	15 min91 subs	23 min139 subs	59 min352 subs
Vaonis Vespera Pro10 s subs	13%	36 min217 subs	53 min320 subs	2 h 08 min766 subs
Vaonis Vespera 310 s subs	15%	14 min86 subs	22 min133 subs	56 min337 subs
Vaonis Vespera Pro 210 s subs	13%	34 min206 subs	51 min304 subs	2 h 02 min733 subs
Unistellar eQuinox 24 s subs	38%	19 min282 subs	24 min358 subs	46 min689 subs
Unistellar Odyssey4 s subs	39%	1 h 38 min1,470 subs	1 h 56 min1,745 subs	3 h 17 min2,950 subs
Celestron Origin10 s subs	25%	5 min30 subs	6 min36 subs	16 min96 subs
Celestron Origin Mark II10 s subs	29%	5 min30 subs	8 min48 subs	22 min135 subs

Open in the calculator

Imaging the globular cluster

Globular clusters are point sources packed tight, so they come quickly: the core resolves into stars within a handful of minutes on any smart scope. More time deepens the halo and pulls in the faint outer members. Use short subs so the core does not saturate into a white blob, and no filter.

M53

How long with each smart telescope

Imaging the globular cluster

Per-telescope pages