It’s Globular Cluster Season!
Becky Ramotowski
The distribution of globular clusters in our home galaxy is
concentrated around Sagittarius, Scorpius and Ophiuchus-all of which are in prime viewing spots right now.
Sagittarius has 35 of these stellar disco balls, Scorpius is home to 23 and Ophiuchus boasts 33. Add them all up and that’s 91 globular clusters!
Why get so excited about a bunch of gravitationally bound balls of bling?
Well, globulars are amazing to look at and they each have
their own personalities. Some are big and bodaciously bright like M22, M13 and Omega Centauri, and some are dim,
tightly compacted wads of stars like NGC 7006 in Delphinus.
Once you start admiring them, you might get hooked on
globulars just as I did many years ago when I began my quest to see as many Milky Way globulars as possible. (I’ve seen 105 of the 157*)
If you have a “Bright Star Atlas” by Tirion and Skiff,
you’ll note that chart 7 has a whopping 24 globular clusters on it. Twenty of these beauties are Messiers so if you’ve been contemplating the Messier
catalog, this would be a fantastic way to jump-start the adventure!
Another cool thing about observing globulars is that you can earn a “Globular Cluster” award from the Astronomical League by observing, classifying and logging a mere 50 of these beautiful star balls. See http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/globular/globular1.html
for details.
You’ve probably seen quite a few globular clusters already and if you want to log a few more, now’s the time!
Messier 22 (NGC 6656) was the first globular cluster discovered in 1665 by Abraham Ihle, a German amateur astronomer.
If you want to be uber cool, look at it first!
A summer list of 129 globulars is below:
Object Constellation RA Dec. Mag. Size
NGC 4147 Com 12:10:06.30 +18:32:33.5 10.32 4.4
Rup 106 Cen 12:38:40.2 -51:09:01 10.90 2.0
M 68, NGC 4590 Hya 12:39:27.98 -26:44:38.6 7.84 11.0
M 53, NGC 5024 Com 13:12:55.25 +18:10:05.4 7.61 13.0
NGC 5053 Com 13:16:27.09 +17:42:00.9 9.47 10.0
NGC 5139, Omega Cen Cen 13:26:47.24 -47:28:46.5 3.68 55.0
M 3, NGC 5272 CVn 13:42:11.62 +28:22:38.2 6.19 18.0
NGC 5286 Cen 13:46:26.81 -51:22:27.3 7.34 11.0
AM 4 Hya 13:56:21.7 -27:10:03 15.88 3.0
NGC 5466 Boo 14:05:27.29 +28:32:04.0 9.04 9.0
NGC 5634 Vir 14:29:37.23 -05:58:35.1 9.47 5.5
NGC 5694 Hya 14:39:36.29 -26:32:20.2 10.17 4.3
NGC 5824 Lup 15:03:58.63 -33:04:05.6 9.09 7.4
Object Constellation RA Dec. Mag. Size
Palomar 5, Ser dw Ser 15:16:05.25 -00:06:41.8 11.75 8.0
NGC 5897 Lib 15:17:24.50 -21:00:37.0 8.53 11.0
M 5, NGC 5904 Ser 15:18:33.22 +02:04:51.7 5.65 23.0
NGC 5927 Lup 15:28:00.69 -50:40:22.9 8.01 6.0
NGC 5946 Nor 15:35:28.52 -50:39:34.8 9.61 3.0
BH 176 Nor 15:39:07.45 -50:03:09.8 14.00 3.0
NGC 5986 Lup 15:46:03.00 -37:47:11.1 7.52 9.6
Palomar 14, AvdB Her 16:11:00.6 +14:57:28 14.74 2.2
M 80, NGC 6093 Sco 16:17:02.41 -22:58:33.9 7.33 10.0
M 4, NGC 6121 Sco 16:23:35.22 -26:31:32.7 5.63 36.0
NGC 6144 Sco 16:27:13.86 -26:01:24.6 9.01 7.4
NGC 6139 Sco 16:27:40.37 -38:50:55.5 8.99 8.2
Terzan 3 Sco 16:28:40.08 -35:21:12.5 12.00 3.0
M 107, NGC 6171 Oph 16:32:31.86 -13:03:13.6 7.93 13.0
ESO452-SC11, 1636-283 Sco 16:39:25.45 -28:23:55.3 12.00 1.2
M 13, NGC 6205 Her 16:41:41.24 +36:27:35.5 5.78 20.0
NGC 6229 Her 16:46:58.79 +47:31:39.9 9.39 4.5
M 12, NGC 6218 Oph 16:47:14.18 -01:56:54.7 6.70 16.0
FSR 1735 Ara 16:52:10.6 -47:03:29 12.90 0.8
NGC 6235 Oph 16:53:25.31 -22:10:38.8 9.97 5.0
M 10, NGC 6254 Oph 16:57:09.05 -04:06:01.1 6.60 20.0
NGC 6256 Sco 16:59:32.62 -37:07:17.0 11.29 4.1
Palomar 15 Oph 16:59:51.0 -00:32:20 14.00 3.0
M 62, NGC 6266 Oph 17:01:12.80 -30:06:49.4 6.45 15.0
M 19, NGC 6273 Oph 17:02:37.80 -26:16:04.7 6.77 17.0
NGC 6284 Oph 17:04:28.51 -24:45:53.5 8.83 6.2
NGC 6287 Oph 17:05:09.13 -22:42:30.1 9.35 4.8
NGC 6293 Oph 17:10:10.20 -26:34:55.5 8.22 8.2
NGC 6304 Oph 17:14:32.25 -29:27:43.3 8.22 8.0
NGC 6316 Oph 17:16:37.30 -28:08:24.4 8.43 5.4
M 92, NGC 6341 Her 17:17:07.39 +43:08:09.4 6.44 14.0
NGC 6325 Oph 17:17:59.21 -23:45:57.6 10.33 4.1
M 9, NGC 6333 Oph 17:19:11.26 -18:30:57.4 7.72 12.0
NGC 6342 Oph 17:21:10.08 -19:35:14.7 9.66 4.4
NGC 6356 Oph 17:23:34.93 -17:48:46.9 8.25 10.0
NGC 6355 Oph 17:23:58.59 -26:21:12.3 9.14 4.2
NGC 6352 Ara 17:25:29.11 -48:25:19.8 7.96 9.0
IC 1257 Oph 17:27:08.5 -07:05:35 13.10 5.0
Terzan 2, HP 3 Sco 17:27:33.10 -30:48:08.4 14.29 0.6
NGC 6366 Oph 17:27:44.24 -05:04:47.5 9.20 13.0
Terzan 4, HP 4 Sco 17:30:39.00 -31:35:43.9 16.00 0.7
HP 1, BH 229, HP Oph 17:31:05.2 -29:58:54 11.59 1.2
Liller 1 Sco 17:33:24.50 -33:23:20.4 16.77
NGC 6380, Ton 1 Sco 17:34:28.0 -39:04:09 11.31 3.6
Terzan 1, HP 2 Sco 17:35:47.8 -30:28:11 15.90 2.4
Ton 2, Pismis 26 Sco 17:36:10.5 -38:33:12 12.24 2.2
NGC 6388 Sco 17:36:17.23 -44:44:07.8 6.72 10.4
Object Constellation RA Dec. Mag. Size
M 14, NGC 6402 Oph 17:37:36.10 -03:14:45.3 7.59 11.0
NGC 6401 Oph 17:38:36.60 -23:54:34.2 9.45 4.8
NGC 6397 Ara 17:40:42.09 -53:40:27.6 5.73 31.0
Palomar 6 Oph 17:43:42.2 -26:13:21 11.55 1.2
NGC 6426 Oph 17:44:54.65 +03:10:12.5 11.01 4.2
Djorg 1 Sco 17:47:28.3 -33:03:56 13.60
Terzan 5, Terzan 11 Sgr 17:48:04.80 -24:46:45 13.85 2.4
NGC 6440 Sgr 17:48:52.70 -20:21:36.9 9.20 4.4
NGC 6441 Sco 17:50:13.06 -37:03:05.2 7.15 9.6
Terzan 6, HP 5 Sco 17:50:46.38 -31:16:31.4 13.85 1.4
NGC 6453 Sco 17:50:51.70 -34:35:57.0 10.08 7.6
UKS 1, UKS 1751-241 Sgr 17:54:27.2 -24:08:43 17.29 2.0
NGC 6496 Sco 17:59:03.68 -44:15:57.4 8.54 5.6
Terzan 9 Sgr 18:01:38.8 -26:50:23 16.00 0.2
Djorg 2, E456-SC38 Sgr 18:01:49.1 -27:49:33 9.90 9.9
NGC 6517 Oph 18:01:50.52 -08:57:31.6 10.23 4.0
NGC 6522 Sgr 18:03:34.02 -30:02:02.3 8.27 9.4
Terzan 10 Sgr 18:03:36.4 -26:04:21 14.90 1.5
NGC 6535 Ser 18:03:50.51 -00:17:51.5 10.47 3.4
NGC 6528 Sgr 18:04:49.64 -30:03:22.6 9.60 5.0
NGC 6539 Ser 18:04:49.68 -07:35:09.1 9.33 7.9
NGC 6540, Djorg 3 Sgr 18:06:08.6 -27:45:55 9.30 1.5
NGC 6544 Sgr 18:07:20.58 -24:59:50.4 7.77 9.2
NGC 6541 CrA 18:08:02.36 -43:42:53.6 6.30 15.0
2MASS-GC01, Hurt 1 Sgr 18:08:21.81 -19:49:47 27.74 3.3
ESO 280-SC06 Ara 18:09:06.0 -46:25:23 12.00 1.5
NGC 6553 Sgr 18:09:17.60 -25:54:31.3 8.06 9.2
2MASS-GC02, Hurt 2 Sgr 18:09:36.50 -20:46:44 24.60 1.9
NGC 6558 Sgr 18:10:17.60 -31:45:50.0 9.26 4.2
IC 1276, Palomar 7 Ser 18:10:44.20 -07:12:27.4 10.34 8.0
Terzan 12 Sgr 18:12:15.8 -22:44:31 15.63 1.0
NGC 6569 Sgr 18:13:38.80 -31:49:36.8 8.55 6.4
AL 3, BH 261 Sgr 18:14:06.6 -28:38:06 11.00 1.3
GLIMPSE-C02 Sgr 18:18:30.5 -16:58:38 17.9 9.8
NGC 6584 Tel 18:18:37.60 -52:12:56.8 8.27 6.6
NGC 6624 Sgr 18:23:40.51 -30:21:39.7 7.87 8.8
M 28, NGC 6626 Sgr 18:24:32.81 -24:52:11.2 6.79 11.2
NGC 6638 Sgr 18:30:56.10 -25:29:50.9 9.02 7.3
M 69, NGC 6637 Sgr 18:31:23.10 -32:20:53.1 7.64 9.8
NGC 6642 Sgr 18:31:54.10 -23:28:30.7 9.13 5.8
NGC 6652 Sgr 18:35:45.63 -32:59:26.6 8.62 6.0
M 22, NGC 6656 Sgr 18:36:23.94 -23:54:17.1 5.10 32.0
Palomar 8 Sgr 18:41:29.9 -19:49:33 11.02 5.2
M 70, NGC 6681 Sgr 18:43:12.76 -32:17:31.6 7.87 8.0
GLIMPSE-C01 Aql 18:48:49.7 -01:29:50 22.24
NGC 6712 Sct 18:53:04.30 -08:42:22.0 8.10 9.8
M 54, NGC 6715 Sgr 18:55:03.33 -30:28:47.5 7.60 12.0
NGC 6717, Palomar 9 Sgr 18:55:06.04 -22:42:05.3 9.28 5.4
Object Constellation RA Dec. Mag. Size
NGC 6723 Sgr 18:59:33.15 -36:37:56.1 7.01 13.0
NGC 6749 Aql 19:05:15.3 +01:54:03 12.44 4.0
NGC 6760 Aql 19:11:12.01 +01:01:49.7 8.88 9.6
M 56, NGC 6779 Lyr 19:16:35.57 +30:11:00.5 8.27 8.8
Terzan 7 Sgr 19:17:43.92 -34:39:27.8 12.00 1.2
Palomar 10 Sge 19:18:02.1 +18:34:18 13.22 4.0
Arp 2 Sgr 19:28:44.11 -30:21:20.3 12.30 2.3
M 55, NGC 6809 Sgr 19:39:59.71 -30:57:53.1 6.32 19.0
Terzan 8 Sgr 19:41:44.41 -33:59:58.1 12.40 3.5
Palomar 11 Aql 19:45:14.4 -08:00:26 9.80 10.0
M 71, NGC 6838 Sge 19:53:46.49 +18:46:45.1 8.19 7.2
M 75, NGC 6864 Sgr 20:06:04.69 -21:55:16.2 8.52 6.8
NGC 6934 Del 20:34:11.37 +07:24:16.1 8.83 7.1
M 72, NGC 6981 Aqr 20:53:27.70 -12:32:14.3 9.27 6.6
NGC 7006 Del 21:01:29.38 +16:11:14.4 10.56 3.6
M 15, NGC 7078 Peg 21:29:58.33 +12:10:01.2 6.20 18.0
M 2, NGC 7089 Aqr 21:33:27.02 -00:49:23.7 6.47 16.0
M 30, NGC 7099 Cap 21:40:22.12 -23:10:47.5 7.19 12.0
Palomar 12, Cap 21:46:38.84 -21:15:09.4 11.99 2.9
Palomar 13, Peg 23:06:44.44 +12:46:19.2 13.47 0.7
NGC 7492 Aqr 23:08:26.63 -15:36:41.4 11.29 4.2
*the complete list can be found at http://www.physics.mcmaster.ca/~harris/mwgc.dat
