Deep space
Specter Cluster
Globular cluster · M55 · NGC 6809
Globular cluster in Sagittarius
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Messier 55 is a globular cluster in the south of the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752 while observing from what today is South Africa. Starting in 1754, Charles Messier made several attempts to find this object from Paris but its low declination meant from there it rises daily very little above the horizon, hampering observation. He observed and catalogued it in 1778. The cluster can be seen with 50 mm binoculars; resolving individual stars needs a medium-sized telescope.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~17,600 light-years
Apparent mag.
+6.3
Apparent size
19′
Best seen with
Naked eye (dark sky)
Catalogue
M55 · NGC 6809
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 55 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 6809.
- Found in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Visible to the naked eye from a dark, moonless site.
