Globular cluster M 80 (NGC 6093) in Scorpius

The globular cluster Messier 80 (NGC 6093) in Scorpius, shown from a 15-second V-band exposure with a Tektronix 2048x2048 CCD at the prime focus of the 4-meter Mayall telescope of Kitt Peak National Observatory. North is at the top and east to the left, for direct comparison with a chart or eyepiece view.
The image has been block-averaged to 512x512 for this presentation, which uses a logarithmic intensity transformation to preserve information across a wide dynamic range.
The field is 7.1 arcminutes square; pixels were averaged 2x2 for this display. M80 shows up in many pictures of the colorful Rho Ophuichi region, about 4 degrees NNW of M4 and free of most of the obscuration associated with the intricate dust clouds in this region.