This grouping of stars is around 84 light-year in diameter. What’s more, it’s screaming toward the earth at around 345,000 miles per hour!
Category Archives: Messier Objects
Messier 29 (NGC 6913): A Petite Pretty Star Cluster in Cygnus
Messier 29, also known as NGC 6913, is an open cluster in Cygnus, which was first discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. It’s known as a course cluster and is located near Gamma Cygni.
Messier 57 (NGC 6720): The Ring Nebula
Messier 57, the Ring Nebula in Lyra, is a bright planetary nebula of gas and dust surrounding a dying star—perfect for backyard observing.
Messier 4 (NGC 6121): A Brilliant Southern Summer Cluster
Messier 4 (M4) is a brilliant globular cluster in the constellation of Scorpius, which is best viewed in summer.
At approximately 5,500 light-years away, M4 is one of the nearest globulars to Earth and one of the brightest in the night sky.
Messier 5 (NGC 5904): A Glorious Globular and Summertime Rose
On the night of May 5, 1702, Gottfried Kirch was comet hunting with his wife Maria when they discovered a “nebulous star” in the constellation of Serpens. The Kirches stumbled upon this cluster — one of the largest, brightest, and oldest in the heavens
Messier 3 (NGC 5272): A Globular Cluster with a Fiery Center
M3 is one of the finest globular clusters in the northern sky. An amazing 500,000 stars make up this cluster.
Messier 51: The Great Whirlpool
Few galaxies are a breathtaking as the majestic Whirlpool Galaxy in the springtime sky near the Big Dipper.