M68 (NGC 4590)
Also known as M68 · M 68 · NGC 4590
M68 (NGC 4590) is a globular star cluster in the constellation Hydra, about 32,620 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Globular star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Position (J2000) | 12h 39m 28s, −26° 44′ |
| Distance | 32,620 light-years (its light set off about 32,620 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 7.96 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 12′ × 12′ (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 | 1,079 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M68 (NGC 4590) is highest in the sky at midnight in March. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 43° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 13°. To see it you need binoculars.
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 Hydra
- Alphard
- Ashlesha
- Ghost of Jupiter
- GJ 357
- GJ 433
- M48 (NGC 2548)
- Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)
- Spiderweb Galaxy
Everything in Hydra · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits