M9 is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. This globular appears quite small on the sky, as it is one of the ones nearer to the galactic center, but it shows a strong central concentration. About 26000 light-years from us, and about 70 light-years across, M9 looks quite oval due to strong absorption by dust in the north-west (upper right). Only a dozen or so variable stars are known in M9, relatively few for a cluster of its size. KPNO 0.9-meter CCD image, April 1995.