M 56 (GC)
Globular Cluster in Lyra
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19h 16m 36.0s | +30° 10′ 45.5″ | 8.8′ | 8.4 | 12.9 | X | GC | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′
Background
M56 is a moderately faint globular cluster 32,900 light-years away in Lyra. Notable for its retrograde Galactic orbit, suggesting it was captured from a disrupted dwarf galaxy.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Find by drawing a line through β and γ Lyrae towards α Cygni. A bit of a struggle to pick up at 8.2 mag in the finderscope. In the eyepiece, the small core has a smattering of brighter stars resolved.(Friday, June 2025)
References
Charts
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)