Messier 72
| Messier 72 | |
|---|---|
 Constellation of Aquarius, with M72 located to the right. | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Right ascension | 20h 53m 27.91s[1] |
| Declination | −12° 32′ 13.4″[1] |
| Distance | 53-62 kly[citation needed] (16-19 kpc) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Notable features | Contains several blue giants |
| Other designations | NGC 6981, GCl 118[1] |
Messier 72 (also known as M72 or NGC 6981) is a globular cluster in the Aquarius constellation discovered by Pierre Méchain in August 29 1780. Charles Messier looked for it on the following October 4 and 5, and included it in his catalog. Both decided that it was a faint nebula not a cluster as is now believed. Using 10 inch telescopes, viewing the cluster is difficult resulting in only a view of a faint blurry picture, However using Kopernicks 20 inch telescope resolution is highly increased. M72 is located at about 53,000 light-years away from Earth and lies in a considerable distance beyond the Galactic Center. Another source states that the cluster is 62,000 light-years away, with a diameter of 42 light-years. Generally considered a young cluster, the cluster has several blue giants, yet star clusters generally contain the oldest stars.
External links
- Messier 72, SEDS Messier pages
- Messier 72, LRGB CCD image based on two hours total exposure
- M-72 Information
References
- ^ a b c "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 6981. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
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