M68 · globular cluster
Messier 68
Messier 68 is a globular cluster found in the east south-east of Hydra, away from its precisely equatorial part.
Image: en:NASA , en:STScI , en:WikiSky. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Identity & coordinates
Identification
- Primary designation
- M68
- All designations
- M68 · NGC 4590
- Object type
- Globular Cluster
- Constellation
- Hydra
- Best viewing
- Spring
Coordinates & physical
- Right ascension (J2000)
- 12h 39m 27s
- Declination (J2000)
- −26° 44' 38"
- Apparent magnitude (V)
- —
- Distance
- —
Visibility tonight
The science
Messier 68 is a globular cluster found in the east south-east of Hydra, away from its precisely equatorial part. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. William Herschel described it as "a beautiful cluster of stars, extremely rich, and so compressed that most of the stars are blended together". His son John noted that it was "all clearly resolved into stars of 12th magnitude, very loose and ragged at the borders".
Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0
References
- SIMBAD Not resolved
- NED Fetched May 8, 2026 View in NED ↗
- Wikipedia Fetched May 8, 2026 Read full article ↗
Wikipedia title resolved via designation — fell back to an alternate catalog designation.
1 merge conflict resolved
- coordinates: SIMBAD missing → NED used