Messier 72

Messier 72
M72 from Hubble Space Telescope; 3.44′ view Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	IX
Constellation	Aquarius
Right ascension	20h 53m 27.91s[1]
Declination	-12° 32′ 13.4″[1]
Distance	53-62 kly[citation needed] (16-19 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)	9.3
Physical characteristics
Notable features	Contains several blue giants
Other designations	NGC 6981, GCl 118[1]
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

Messier 72 (also known as M72 or NGC 6981) is a globular cluster in the Aquarius constellation discovered by Pierre Méchain on 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 rather than a cluster.

Using 10-inch (250 mm) telescopes, viewing the cluster is difficult resulting in only a view of a faint blurry picture, However using Kopernicks 20-inch (510 mm) 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^{[citation needed]} 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.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 6981. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad. Retrieved 2006-11-16. 

External links

• Messier 72, SEDS Messier pages
• Messier 72, Galactic Globular Clusters Database page
• Messier 72, LRGB CCD image based on two hours total exposure
• M-72 Information
• Messier 72 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images

Coordinates: 20^h 53^m 27.91^s, −12° 32′ 13.4″