Messier 62

Messier 62
Messier 62 by Hubble Space Telescope; 1.65′ view Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	IV[1]
Constellation	Ophiuchus
Right ascension	17^h 01^m 12.60^s[2]
Declination	–30° 06′ 44.5″[2]
Distance	22.2 kly (6.8 kpc)[3]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+7.39[2]
Apparent dimensions (V)	15′.0
Physical characteristics
Mass	1.22×10^6[3] M☉
Radius	49 ly[4]
Metallicity	$\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{Fe}/{H}\right]\end{smallmatrix}$ = –1.02[5] dex
Estimated age	11.78 Gyr[5]
Other designations	NGC 6266, GCl 51[2]

Messier 62 (also known as M62 or NGC 6266) is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1771 by Charles Messier.

M62 is at a distance of about 22,500 light-years from Earth and measures some 100 light-years across. From studies conducted in the 1970s it is known that M62 contains the high number of 89 variable stars, many of them of the RR Lyrae type. It also contains several X-ray sources, thought to be close binary star systems, as well as millisecond pulsars in binary systems.

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  Globular Cluster M62 with amateur telescope.

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  Map showing the location of M62.

References

1. Shapley, Harlow; Sawyer, Helen B. (August 1927), "A Classification of Globular Clusters", Harvard College Observatory Bulletin (849): 11–14, Bibcode:1927BHarO.849...11S.
2. "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 6266. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
3. Boyles, J.; et al. (November 2011), "Young Radio Pulsars in Galactic Globular Clusters", The Astrophysical Journal 742 (1): 51, arXiv:1108.4402, Bibcode:2011ApJ...742...51B, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/742/1/51.
4. distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 49 ly. radius
5. Forbes, Duncan A.; Bridges, Terry (May 2010), "Accreted versus in situ Milky Way globular clusters", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 404 (3): 1203–1214, arXiv:1001.4289, Bibcode:2010MNRAS.404.1203F, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16373.x.

External links

• Messier 62, SEDS Messier pages
• Messier 62, Galactic Globular Clusters Database page
• M62 on willig.net
• Messier 62 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images

Coordinates: 17^h 01^m 12.60^s, −30° 06′ 44.5″