NGC 6397 is one of the closest globular cluster in the night sky. The globular contains around 400.000 stars. Its apparent size is a bit smaller than Messier 22, making it the fourth biggest cluster in the sky. The age of the cluster is calculated in 13.6 billion years close to the age of our Milky Way
It is located almost 3 degrees to the east from 2.81 magnitude star Beta Arae. It is a excellent target for binoculars or small telescopes, even from urban skies.
The image was taken last July using a QSI 583 WS and Celestron 8” SCT telescope at f 6,3 for a total exposure time of 90 minutes in a very cold night 250 km away form Buenos Aires, Argentina