H-NGC4147
Globular Cluster in Coma Berenices
About
A small globular cluster in Coma Berenices, about 60,000 light-years away and far above the plane of the Milky Way. It may have been pulled in from the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. William Herschel logged it twice in 1784 without realising it was one object, so the NGC list carries a duplicate, NGC 4153.
Imaging tips
- About 4′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- Surface brightness is 21.9 mag/arcsec², just under the roughly 22 level that counts as faint.
- Best in March and April; it peaks near 58° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 4′
- Magnitude
- 10.3
- Coordinates
- RA 12h 10.1m, Dec +18° 33′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Mar, Apr
- Peak altitude
- 59° from 50°N, 74° from 35°N