H-NGC5897
Globular Cluster in Libra
About
In Libra, this globular cluster lies about 40,000 light-years away, rated class XI on the Shapley–Sawyer concentration scale. Its stars hold less than 1% of the Sun's iron, which marks it as an old, metal-poor halo cluster. It is on the Herschel 400 list.
Imaging tips
- About 13′ across, so frame it at 1860–3110 mm on APS-C or 2860–4760 mm on full frame.
- Faint at 22.8 mag/arcsec² and loosely concentrated, so plan many hours of broadband data.
- One imager recorded it with eight 3-minute exposures (24 minutes in all) at 1600 mm, using a DSLR and a skyglow filter.
- Stays below 19° altitude from 50°N, so it sits low; best in April and May.
Facts
- Size
- 13′
- Magnitude
- 8.6
- Coordinates
- RA 15h 17.4m, Dec −21° 1′
- Framing, APS-C
- 1860–3110 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 2860–4760 mm
- Best months
- Apr, May
- Peak altitude
- 19° from 50°N, 34° from 35°N