M5 (NGC 5904)
Also known as M5 · M 5 · NGC 5904
M5 (NGC 5904) is a globular star cluster in the constellation Serpens, about 25,410 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Globular star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Position (J2000) | 15h 18m 33s, +2° 04′ |
| Distance | 25,410 light-years (its light set off about 25,410 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.95 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 17.4′ × 17.4′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 2,115 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M5 (NGC 5904) is highest in the sky at midnight in May. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 72° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 42°. To see it you need the naked eye from a dark site.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Serpens
Everything in Serpens · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits