NGC 5139 (GC)
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13h 26m 49.1s | -47° 28′ 54.4″ | 55.0′ | 5.3 | 13.8 | VIII | GC | -- | -- |
Background
NGC 5139 is ω Centauri — the brightest, largest and most massive globular cluster orbiting the Milky Way. About 17,000 light-years away and 10 million members, an order of magnitude richer than typical globulars. Strongly suspected to be the stripped core of a former dwarf galaxy. Easily naked-eye at magnitude 3.7 — one of the great showpieces of the southern sky.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): The very first test object as I aligned the Coffee Grinder for its first night out at Wiruna in many years. A little off-centre but happily in the FOV — confirming the rebuilt electronics were still working. (Thursday, April 2025)
44-cm (Club 17.5-inch f/5): Revisited (briefly mentioned) on the June 2025 weekend. (June 2025)
55-cm (Club 22-inch f/5 Lord Sidious): One of the greatest-hits stops on the Saturday night with the new 22-inch — spectacular at this aperture, with the rich starfield resolved across the full extent of the cluster. (11 April 2026)
References
Charts
