40 3-minute lights plus calibration frames were stacked using ImagesPlus; other post-processing was with Photoshop CS2 plus Astronomy Tools plugin, SiriL, PhotoScape X and MS Photo.

Messier 5 is a bright, densely populated, globular cluster that is one of the oldest in our galaxy as most of its stars were formed 12 billion years ago. The young hot blue stars in the cluster are believed to be the result of stellar collisions. Messier 5, which is 24,500 light years from Earth, is located in the constellation Serpens near the star 5 Serpentis.