Messier 3 (M3; also NGC 5272) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici with an appaerent magnitude of 6.2, making it visible to the naked eye under dark conditions.
This cluster is one of the largest and brightest in the sky, and is made up of around 500,000 stars spread over a diameter of about 180 light-years. It is estimated to be 8 billion years old and is centered at 32,600 light-years away from the Earth.
Messier 3 is quite isolated as it is 31.6 kly above the Galactic plane and roughly 38.8 kly from the center of the Milky Way. M3 is moving at an inclined orbit with takes it 49,000 light-years above and below the galactic plane. It contains 274 known variable stars, by far the most found in any globular cluster.
Messier 3 is the prototype for the Oosterhoff type I cluster, which is considered “metal-rich”. That is, for a globular cluster, Messier 3 has a relatively high abundance of heavier elements.
M3
Messier 3 (M3; also NGC 5272) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici with an appaerent magnitude of 6.2, making it visible to the naked eye under dark conditions.
This cluster is one of the largest and brightest in the sky, and is made up of around 500,000 stars spread over a diameter of about 180 light-years. It is estimated to be 8 billion years old and is centered at 32,600 light-years away from the Earth.
Messier 3 is quite isolated as it is 31.6 kly above the Galactic plane and roughly 38.8 kly from the center of the Milky Way. M3 is moving at an inclined orbit with takes it 49,000 light-years above and below the galactic plane. It contains 274 known variable stars, by far the most found in any globular cluster.
Messier 3 is the prototype for the Oosterhoff type I cluster, which is considered “metal-rich”. That is, for a globular cluster, Messier 3 has a relatively high abundance of heavier elements.
Photographed with the MN190 reflector telescope and the Atik 360EX monochrome CCD camera in late March 2024. Exposure was 20*2min with each of RGB (some lights discarded due to low contrast) and 20*2min lum. This was the first attempt to use an OAG with this telescope, and the guiding error was about 0.8″ during the session.
M3
Messier 3 (M3; also NGC 5272) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici with an appaerent magnitude of 6.2, making it visible to the naked eye under dark conditions.
This cluster is one of the largest and brightest in the sky, and is made up of around 500,000 stars spread over a diameter of about 180 light-years. It is estimated to be 8 billion years old and is centered at 32,600 light-years away from the Earth.
Messier 3 is quite isolated as it is 31.6 kly above the Galactic plane and roughly 38.8 kly from the center of the Milky Way. M3 is moving at an inclined orbit with takes it 49,000 light-years above and below the galactic plane. It contains 274 known variable stars, by far the most found in any globular cluster.
Messier 3 is the prototype for the Oosterhoff type I cluster, which is considered “metal-rich”. That is, for a globular cluster, Messier 3 has a relatively high abundance of heavier elements.
Photographed with the MN190 reflector telescope and the Atik 360EX monochrome CCD camera in late March 2024. Exposure was 20*2min with each of RGB (some lights discarded due to low contrast) and 20*2min lum. This was the first attempt to use an OAG with this telescope, and the guiding error was about 0.8″ during the session.
