Messier 68
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This article is about the astronomical object. For other uses, see M68 (disambiguation).
| Messier 68 | |
|---|---|
 M68 from Hubble Space Telescope; 3.32′ view Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky |
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| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Class | X |
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Right ascension | 12h 39m 28.01s[1] |
| Declination | -26° 44′ 34.9″[1] |
| Distance | 33.3 kly[citation needed] (10.2 kpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +9.67[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 11′.0 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 53 ly[2] |
| Estimated age | 11.2 Gyr |
| Notable features | Relatively metal poor.[citation needed] |
| Other designations | M68, NGC 4590, GCl 20[1] |
| See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters | |
Messier 68 (also known as M68 or NGC 4590) is a globular cluster in the Hydra constellation. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. M68 is at a distance of about 33,000 light-years away from Earth.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 4590. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
- ^ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 53 ly. radius
[edit] External links
- Globular Cluster M68 @ SEDS Messier pages
- Messier 68, Galactic Globular Clusters Database page
- Messier 68 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
Coordinates: 
12h 39m 28.01s, −26° 44′ 34.9″
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