M79, Globular Star Cluster in Lepus

 

    M79 (NGC 1904), Magnitude 7.7 Shapley - Sawyer Class V Globular Cluster, Size 9.6'x9.6', Constellation: Lepus.

 

Image Details:

What don't you get with the coming of the otherwise glorious winter sky? Globular clusters. The only prominent one is M15, sinking in the west with Pegasus. Oh, well, there's one other. M79, situated in Lepus at the feet of Orion, ain't exactly "prominent," but it is there. That said, you'll need at least a 12-inch scope for good resolution if your skies ain't what they oughta be.

At 40,000 light years, this "little" cluster is about 118 light years across.

I was lucky to get this one. By the time I remembered "M79," it was already into the trees that line the western horizon at Pine Lake...


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