M 9 is a Globular Cluster located 25,000 light years away in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
It is the closest globular cluster to the center of the Milky Way and it proximity to center of the Milky Way has caused some warping of its spherical shape.
M9 is estimated to be around 12 billion years old and to contain over 100,000 stars. It spans around 90 light years.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 700 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby