Globular Clusters
Globular clusters are spherical concentrations of stars typically 100
light years across and containing thousands of stars. Globular clusters
are very old, at least 10 billion years old and were presumably formed
when the galaxy was still forming. They are scattered in a spherical
halo surrounding our galaxy and take hundreds of millions of years to
orbit it.
 |
| Three globular clusters. On the left is NGC 2419, it is
a large but very distant globular cluster lying far beyond the edge of the
galaxy. M13 in the middle is much closer, it is one of the brightest globular
clusters in the sky. On the right is Pal 11, a very pathetic globular cluster
in Aquila. |
Below is a list of most of the globular clusters that surround our
galaxy.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Catalog | Other | Equatorial | Galactic | Visual| Distance
Number | Name | Coordinates | Coordinates| Mag. | (kly)
_________|___________|__RA______Dec__|___l°____b°_|_______|_________
NGC 104 47 Tuc 00 24.1 -72 05 305.9 -44.9 3.95 15
NGC 288 00 52.8 -26 35 152.3 -89.4 8.09 27
NGC 362 01 03.2 -70 51 301.5 -46.3 6.40 28
NGC 1261 03 12.3 -55 13 270.5 -52.1 8.29 53
Pal 1 03 33.4 +79 35 130.1 +19.0 13.18 36
AM 1 E 1 03 55.0 -49 37 258.4 -48.5 15.72 398
Eridanus 04 24.7 -21 11 218.1 -41.3 14.70 294
Pal 2 04 46.1 +31 23 170.5 -9.1 13.04 90
NGC 1851 05 14.1 -40 03 244.5 -35.0 7.14 39
NGC 1904 M79 05 24.2 -24 31 227.2 -29.4 7.73 42
NGC 2298 06 49.0 -36 00 245.6 -16.0 9.29 35
NGC 2419 07 38.1 +38 53 180.4 +25.2 10.39 275
Pyxis 09 08.0 -37 13 261.3 +7.0 12.90 129
NGC 2808 09 12.0 -64 52 282.2 -11.3 6.20 30
E 3 09 21.0 -77 17 292.3 -19.0 11.35 14
Pal 3 10 05.5 +00 04 240.1 +41.9 14.26 302
NGC 3201 10 17.6 -46 25 277.2 +8.6 6.75 17
Pal 4 11 29.3 +28 58 202.3 +71.8 14.20 356
NGC 4147 12 10.1 +18 33 252.9 +77.2 10.32 63
NGC 4372 12 25.8 -72 40 301.0 -9.9 7.24 19
Rup 106 12 38.7 -51 09 300.9 +11.7 10.90 69
NGC 4590 M68 12 39.5 -26 45 299.6 +36.0 7.84 33
NGC 4833 12 59.6 -70 52 303.6 -8.0 6.91 20
NGC 5024 M53 13 12.9 +18 10 333.0 +79.8 7.61 60
NGC 5053 13 16.5 +17 42 335.7 +78.9 9.47 53
NGC 5139 Omega Cen 13 26.8 -47 29 309.1 +15.0 3.68 17
NGC 5272 M3 13 42.2 +28 23 42.2 +78.7 6.19 34
NGC 5286 13 46.4 -51 22 311.6 +10.6 7.34 36
AM 4 13 56.4 -27 10 320.3 +33.5 15.90 98
NGC 5466 14 05.5 +28 32 42.2 +73.6 9.04 55
NGC 5634 14 29.6 -05 59 342.2 +49.3 9.47 84
NGC 5694 14 39.6 -26 32 331.1 +30.4 10.17 113
IC 4499 15 00.3 -82 13 307.4 -20.5 9.76 62
NGC 5824 15 04.0 -33 04 332.5 +22.1 9.09 104
Pal 5 15 16.1 +00 07 0.9 +45.9 11.75 76
NGC 5897 15 17.4 -21 01 343.0 +30.3 8.53 42
NGC 5904 M5 15 18.6 +02 05 3.9 +46.8 5.65 24
NGC 5927 15 28.0 -50 40 326.6 +4.9 8.01 25
NGC 5946 15 35.5 -50 40 327.6 +4.2 9.61 42
BH 176 15 39.1 -50 03 328.4 +4.3 14.00 47
NGC 5986 15 46.1 -37 47 337.0 +13.3 7.52 34
Lynga 7 16 11.1 -55 19 328.8 -2.8 23
Pal 14 AvdB 16 11.1 +14 57 28.8 +42.2 14.74 241
NGC 6093 M80 16 17.0 -22 59 352.7 +19.5 7.33 33
NGC 6121 M4 16 23.6 -26 32 351.0 +16.0 5.63 7
NGC 6101 16 25.8 -72 12 317.8 -15.8 9.16 50
NGC 6144 16 27.2 -26 01 351.9 +15.7 9.01 34
NGC 6139 16 27.7 -38 51 342.4 +6.9 8.99 33
Terzan 3 16 28.7 -35 21 345.1 +9.2 12.00 24
NGC 6171 M107 16 32.5 -13 03 3.4 +23.0 7.93 21
1636-283 ESO452-SC11 16 39.4 -28 24 351.9 +12.1 12.00 25
NGC 6205 M13 16 41.7 +36 28 59.0 +40.9 5.78 25
NGC 6229 16 47.0 +47 32 73.6 +40.3 9.39 100
NGC 6218 M12 16 47.2 -01 57 15.7 +26.3 6.70 16
NGC 6235 16 53.4 -22 11 358.9 +13.5 9.97 33
NGC 6254 M10 16 57.1 -04 06 15.1 +23.1 6.60 14
NGC 6256 16 59.5 -37 07 347.8 +3.3 11.29 22
Pal 15 17 00.0 +00 33 18.9 +24.3 14.00 145
NGC 6266 M62 17 01.2 -30 07 353.6 +7.3 6.45 23
NGC 6273 M19 17 02.6 -26 16 356.9 +9.4 6.77 28
NGC 6284 17 04.5 -24 46 358.4 +9.9 8.83 48
NGC 6287 17 05.2 -22 42 0.1 +11.0 9.35 28
NGC 6293 17 10.2 -26 35 357.6 +7.8 8.22 29
NGC 6304 17 14.5 -29 28 355.8 +5.4 8.22 20
NGC 6316 17 16.6 -28 08 357.2 +5.8 8.43 36
NGC 6341 M92 17 17.1 +43 08 68.3 +34.9 6.44 27
NGC 6325 17 18.0 -23 46 1.0 +8.0 10.33 31
NGC 6333 M9 17 19.2 -18 31 5.5 +10.7 7.72 27
NGC 6342 17 21.2 -19 35 4.9 +9.7 9.66 28
NGC 6356 17 23.6 -17 49 6.7 +10.2 8.25 50
NGC 6355 17 24.0 -26 21 359.6 +5.4 9.14 23
NGC 6352 17 25.5 -48 25 341.4 -7.2 7.96 19
IC 1257 17 27.1 -07 06 16.5 +15.1 13.10 82
Terzan 2 HP 3 17 27.6 -30 48 356.3 +2.3 14.29 28
NGC 6366 17 27.7 -05 05 18.4 +16.0 9.20 12
Terzan 4 HP 4 17 30.6 -31 36 356.0 +1.3 16.00 30
HP 1 BH 229 17 31.1 -29 59 357.4 +2.1 11.59 24
NGC 6362 17 31.9 -67 03 325.5 -17.6 7.73 26
Liller 1 17 33.4 -33 23 354.8 -0.2 16.77 34
NGC 6380 Ton 1 17 34.5 -39 04 350.2 -3.4 11.31 35
Terzan 1 HP 2 17 35.8 -30 28 357.6 +1.0 15.90 20
Ton 2 Pismis 26 17 36.2 -38 33 350.8 -3.4 12.24 26
NGC 6388 17 36.3 -44 44 345.6 -6.7 6.72 38
NGC 6402 M14 17 37.6 -03 15 21.3 +14.8 7.59 29
NGC 6401 17 38.6 -23 55 3.5 +4.0 9.45 25
NGC 6397 17 40.7 -53 40 338.2 -12.0 5.73 8
Pal 6 17 43.7 -26 13 2.1 +1.8 11.55 24
NGC 6426 17 44.9 +03 10 28.1 +16.2 11.01 67
Djorg 1 17 47.5 -33 04 356.7 -2.5 13.60 29
Terzan 5 Terzan 11 17 48.1 -24 49 3.8 +1.7 13.85 25
NGC 6440 17 48.9 -20 22 7.7 +3.8 9.20 27
NGC 6441 17 50.2 -37 03 353.5 -5.0 7.15 37
Terzan 6 HP 5 17 50.8 -31 17 358.6 -2.2 13.85 31
NGC 6453 17 50.9 -34 36 355.7 -3.9 10.08 37
UKS 1 17 54.5 -24 09 5.1 +0.8 17.29 27
NGC 6496 17 59.0 -44 16 348.0 -10.0 8.54 38
Terzan 9 18 01.6 -26 50 3.6 -2.0 16.00 25
Djorg 2 E456-SC38 18 01.8 -27 50 2.8 -2.5 9.90 22
NGC 6517 18 01.8 -08 58 19.2 +6.8 10.23 35
Terzan10 18 03.0 -26 04 4.4 -1.9 14.90 19
NGC 6522 18 03.6 -30 02 1.0 -3.9 8.27 25
NGC 6535 18 03.8 +00 18 27.2 +10.4 10.47 22
NGC 6528 18 04.8 -30 03 1.1 -4.2 9.60 30
NGC 6539 18 04.8 -07 35 20.8 +6.8 9.33 27
NGC 6540 Djorg 3 18 06.1 -27 46 3.3 -3.3 9.30 12
NGC 6544 18 07.3 -25 00 5.8 -2.2 7.77 8
NGC 6541 18 08.0 -43 42 349.3 -11.2 6.30 23
NGC 6553 18 09.3 -25 54 5.3 -3.0 8.06 18
NGC 6558 18 10.3 -31 46 0.2 -6.0 9.26 24
IC 1276 Pal 7 18 10.7 -07 12 21.8 +5.7 10.34 18
Terzan12 18 12.3 -22 45 8.4 -2.1 15.63 16
NGC 6569 18 13.6 -31 50 0.5 -6.7 8.55 28
NGC 6584 18 18.6 -52 13 342.1 -16.4 8.27 44
NGC 6624 18 23.7 -30 22 2.8 -7.9 7.87 26
NGC 6626 M28 18 24.5 -24 52 7.8 -5.6 6.79 19
NGC 6638 18 30.9 -25 30 7.9 -7.2 9.02 27
NGC 6637 M69 18 31.4 -32 21 1.7 -10.3 7.64 28
NGC 6642 18 31.9 -23 29 9.8 -6.4 9.13 25
NGC 6652 18 35.8 -32 59 1.5 -11.4 8.62 31
NGC 6656 M22 18 36.4 -23 54 9.9 -7.6 5.10 10
Pal 8 18 41.5 -19 50 14.1 -6.8 11.02 42
NGC 6681 M70 18 43.2 -32 18 2.8 -12.5 7.87 29
NGC 6712 18 53.1 -08 42 25.4 -4.3 8.10 23
NGC 6715 M54 18 55.1 -30 29 5.6 -14.1 7.60 89
NGC 6717 Pal 9 18 55.1 -22 42 12.9 -10.9 9.28 24
NGC 6723 18 59.6 -36 38 0.1 -17.3 7.01 29
NGC 6749 Be42 19 05.3 +01 54 36.2 -2.2 12.44 26
NGC 6752 19 10.9 -59 59 336.5 -25.6 5.40 13
NGC 6760 19 11.2 +01 02 36.1 -3.9 8.88 24
NGC 6779 M56 19 16.6 +30 11 62.7 +8.3 8.27 33
Terzan 7 19 17.7 -34 39 3.4 -20.1 12.00 76
Pal 10 19 18.0 +18 34 52.4 +2.7 13.22 19
Arp 2 19 28.7 -30 21 8.6 -20.8 12.30 93
NGC 6809 M55 19 40.0 -30 58 8.8 -23.3 6.32 18
Terzan 8 19 41.8 -34 00 5.8 -24.6 12.40 85
Pal 11 19 45.2 -08 00 31.8 -15.6 9.80 42
NGC 6838 M71 19 53.8 +18 47 56.7 -4.6 8.19 13
NGC 6864 M75 20 06.1 -21 55 20.3 -25.8 8.52 61
NGC 6934 20 34.2 +07 24 52.1 -18.9 8.83 57
NGC 6981 M72 20 53.5 -12 32 35.2 -32.7 9.27 55
NGC 7006 21 01.5 +16 11 63.8 -19.4 10.56 135
NGC 7078 M15 21 30.0 +12 10 65.0 -27.3 6.20 34
NGC 7089 M2 21 33.5 +00 49 53.4 -35.8 6.47 38
NGC 7099 M30 21 40.4 -23 11 27.2 -46.8 7.19 26
Pal 12 21 46.6 -21 15 30.5 -47.7 11.99 62
Pal 13 23 06.7 +12 46 87.1 -42.7 13.80 88
NGC 7492 23 08.4 -15 37 53.4 -63.5 11.29 84
Column 1: Usual catalog number of the globular cluster.
Column 2: Other name (usually a Messier number).
Column 3: Right Ascension in hours and minutes for epoch 2000.
Column 4: Declination in degrees and minutes for epoch 2000.
Column 5: Galactic longitude of the globular cluster.
Column 6: Galactic latitude of the globular cluster.
Column 7: The visual magnitude.
Column 8: Distance to the globular cluster in thousands of light years.
The error on these distances is typically about 10%.
References:
Catalog of parameters for Milky Way globular clusters, Harris W.E, (1999).
A plot of the above data onto a sideways view of the galaxy,
revealing how globular clusters form a spherical halo around the galaxy.
Back to the Milky Way Galaxy page
