NGC 6397 (GC)
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17h 40m 43.5s | -53° 40′ 20.0″ | 32.0′ | 5.2 | 12.4 | IX | GC | -- | -- |
Background
NGC 6397 is one of the closest globular clusters to the Sun ( 7,800 light-years). Around 13 billion years old — among the very oldest in the Galaxy — and it has undergone “core collapse,” giving it an extremely dense central region. Contains roughly 400,000 stars.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Similar size and brightness to M4. The bright core resolves well into lovely chains of stars.(Friday, April 2025)
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): A perfect way to start the night. Located via the Telrad just below the α/β Ara pair (0.8° apart). Easily picks up the glow in the 9×50 finderscope. At 5.6 mag and 25.7' across, easily resolves into a sea of stars — the dense core gives way to outliers trailing out in loops and arcs, giving it the appearance of a dense open cluster. Filled the FOV in the 26 mm eyepiece.(Friday, June 2025)
References
Charts
