NGC 288

NGC 288
NGC 288 by Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	X[1]
Constellation	Sculptor
Right ascension	00^h 52^m 45.24^s[2]
Declination	–26° 34′ 57.4″[2]
Distance	28.7 kly (8.8 kpc)[3]
Apparent magnitude (V)	9.37[4]
Apparent dimensions (V)	13′.8[1]
Physical characteristics
Mass	4.8×10^4[5] M☉
Metallicity	$\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{Fe}/{H}\right]\end{smallmatrix}$ = –1.14[6] dex
Estimated age	10.62 Gyr[6]
Other designations	Melotte 3[4]

NGC 288 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sculptor. Its visual appearance was described by John Dreyer in 1888.^[7] It is located about 1.8° southeast of the galaxy NGC 253, 37′ north-northeast of the South Galactic Pole, 15′ south-southeast of a 9th magnitude star, and encompassed by a half-circular chain of stars that opens on its southwest side.^[1] It can be observed through binoculars.^[1] It is not very concentrated and has a well resolved, large 3′ dense core that is surrounded by a much more diffuse and irregular 9′ diameter ring.^[1] Peripheral members extend farther outward towards the south and especially southwest.^[1]

References

1. Kepple, George Robert; Sanner, Glen W. (1998). The Night Sky Observer's Guide, Volume 2. Willmann-Bell, Inc. pp. 365, 372. ISBN 0-943396-60-3.
2. Goldsbury, Ryan; et al. (December 2010), "The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. X. New Determinations of Centers for 65 Clusters", The Astronomical Journal 140 (6): 1830–1837, arXiv:1008.2755, Bibcode:2010AJ....140.1830G, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/140/6/1830.
3. Paust, Nathaniel E. Q.; et al. (February 2010), "The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. VIII. Effects of Environment on Globular Cluster Global Mass Functions", The Astronomical Journal 139 (2): 476–491, Bibcode:2010AJ....139..476P, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/139/2/476
4. "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for extended name search on NGC 288. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
5. Marks, Michael; Kroupa, Pavel (August 2010), "Initial conditions for globular clusters and assembly of the old globular cluster population of the Milky Way", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 406 (3): 2000–2012, arXiv:1004.2255, Bibcode:2010MNRAS.406.2000M, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16813.x. Mass is from M_PD on Table 1.
6. 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.
7. Dreyer, J. L. E. (1888). "A New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars,being the Catalogue of the late Sir John F.W. Herschel, Bart., revised, corrected, and enlarged.". Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society 49: 1–237. Bibcode:1888MmRAS..49....1D.

External links

• NGC 288 @ SEDS
• NGC 288 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images

Coordinates: 00^h 52^m 45.3^s, −26° 34′ 43″