M19

M19 is one of the most oblate of the known globular clusters.This flattening may not accurately reflect the physical shape of the cluster because the emitted light is being strongly absorbed along the eastern edge. This is the result of extinction caused by intervening gas and dust. When viewed in the infrared, the cluster shows almost no flattening. It lies at a distance of about 28.7 kly (8.8 kpc) from the Solar System,and is quite near to the Galactic Center at only about 6.5 kly (2.0 kpc) away.