Small Sgr Star Cloud
Star cluster in Sagittarius · 10,000 light-years
🔭 Explore Small Sgr Star Cloud in the 3D map →View Small Sgr Star Cloud images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Right ascension | 18h 16m 56s |
| Declination | −18° 31′ |
| Object distance | 10,000 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 4.5 |
| Apparent size | 120′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 349.1 light-years across |
| Also known as | M24 |
Messier 24, popularly known as the Small Sgr Star Cloud, is a star cluster in Sagittarius — a gravitationally bound family of stars sharing a common origin. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 120 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 4.5, it is bright enough to glimpse with the unaided eye under a dark sky.
Although it appears about 120′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 349.1 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Small Sgr Star Cloud
Small Sgr Star Cloud lies in the constellation Sagittarius and is best placed in the evening sky around June. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. At its brightness it can be found with the unaided eye under a dark sky and is easy in binoculars.
See Small Sgr Star Cloud in Universe Finder
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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
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster
- Messier 34 — star cluster