Omega Centauri
Star cluster in Centaurus · 17,000 light-years
🔭 Explore Omega Centauri in the 3D map →View Omega Centauri images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 13h 26m 46s |
| Declination | −47° 29′ |
| Object distance | 17,000 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 5.3 |
| Apparent size | 27′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 133.5 light-years across |
| Also known as | C80 · NGC 5139 |
Caldwell 80, popularly known as the Omega Centauri, is a star cluster (NGC 5139) in Centaurus — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 80 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 27 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 5.3, it can be glimpsed with the unaided eye under dark skies.
Although it appears about 27′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 133.5 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Omega Centauri
Omega Centauri lies in the constellation Centaurus and is best placed in the evening sky around April. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the southern hemisphere, and sits low for those far north. At its brightness it can be found with the unaided eye under a dark sky and is easy in binoculars.
See Omega Centauri in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Omega Centauri and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Pleiades — star cluster
- Hercules Cluster — star cluster
- Small Sgr Star Cloud — star cluster
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster