M69 · globular cluster

Messier 69

Messier 69 or M69, also known NGC 6637, and NGC 6634, is a globular cluster in the southern constellation of Sagittarius.

RA18h 31m 23sDec−32° 20' 53"

Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA. CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: M69
All designations: M69 · NGC 6637
Object type: Globular Cluster
Constellation: Sagittarius
Best viewing: Summer

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 18h 31m 23s
Declination (J2000): −32° 20' 53"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —

III

Visibility tonight

The science

Messier 69 or M69, also known NGC 6637, and NGC 6634, is a globular cluster in the southern constellation of Sagittarius. It can be found 2.5° to the northeast of the star Epsilon Sagittarii and is dimly visible in 50 mm aperture binoculars. The cluster was discovered by Charles Messier on August 31, 1780, the same night he discovered M70. At the time, he was searching for an object described by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1751–2 and thought he had rediscovered it, but it is unclear if Lacaille actually described M69.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0