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M79
Messier 79
Globular Star Cluster
| Right Ascension | 05h 24m 30s | Best Seen | 2/1-3/15 |
| Declination | -24° 33' 00" | Magnitude | ~8 |
| Constellation | Lepus | ||
Actual |
Compared to Sun |
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| Distance | ~41,000 ly | -- |
| Diameter | 100 ly | -- |
| Number of Stars | -- | -- |
| Actual Brightness | -- | -- |
| Age | greater than 12 billion years | ~2.5 |
| Integrated Spectral Type | F5 | G2 V |
What To Look For Through The Telescope
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Recommended eyepiece: 40mm or 80 mm.
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When people look through the telescope the cluster will appear similar to a pile of sugar or salt on a table.
M79 Information
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Pierre Méchain discovered this object October 26, 1780. He reported it to his friend, Charles Messier, who determined its position then included it in his famous catalogue on December 17, 1780. William Herschel first resolved the hazy object into stars in 1784.
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This cluster is 40,000 l.y. away from us but 60,000 l.y. away from the galactic center. This means, that unlike most globular clusters, we lie between it and the galactic center.
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References
| Item | Updated | Notes |
| Coordinates | 2003-03-06 | http://messier.seds.org/m/m079.html |
| Magnitude | 2003-03-06 | http://messier.seds.org/m/m079.html says 7.7 http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=m79&submit=SIMBAD+search says 8.56 |
| Distance | 2003-03-06 | http://messier.seds.org/m/m079.html |
| Actual Brightness | 2003-3-06 | previously: 90,000 times Sun – BUT can find no support |
| Number of Stars | -- | |
| Diameter | 2003-03-06 | agrees with SEDs site |
| Age | -- | |
| Integrated Spectral Type | 2003-03-06 | from SIMBAD |
| Other Information | 2003-03-06 | previously included “There are only 7 identified variable stars in this cluster.” – BUT can find no information for this |