M 79 (GC)
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05h 24m 09.6s | -24° 31′ 38.9″ | 9.6′ | 7.7 | 12.3 | V | GC | -- | -- |
Background
M79 is an unusual globular cluster 42,000 light-years away in Lepus — notable for its location south of the Galactic plane and well outside the Galactic centre, suggesting it was captured from the Canis Major dwarf galaxy and is now slowly being absorbed by the Milky Way.
My Observing Notes
30-cm (SkyWatcher 12-inch f/5): Find by extending the line through β and α Lep almost the same distance again. Easy in the finderscope. With the 35 mm a bright 8' wide globular at mag 7 with a dense unresolved core; brighter halo stars resolve easily. The 16 mm with averted vision brings out much more halo detail — an arc of bright (probably foreground) stars sits underneath, and a chain of brighter stars hangs off the bottom-right like a loose jellyfish tentacle.(Friday, March 2026)
References
Charts
