| Messier 69 | |
|---|---|
M69 by Hubble Space Telescope; 3.5′ view Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky |
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| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Class | V |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Right ascension | 18h 31m 23.23s[1] |
| Declination | -32° 20′ 52.7″[1] |
| Distance | 29.7 kly (9.1 kpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +8.31[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 9′.8 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 42 ly[2] |
| Other designations | M69, NGC 6637, GCl 96[1] |
| See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters | |
Messier 69 (also known as M69 or NGC 6637) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier on August 31, 1780, the same night he discovered M70. At the time, he was searching for an object described by LaCaille in 1751-2 and thought he had rediscovered it, but it is unclear if LaCaille actually described M69.
M69 is at a distance of about 29,700 light-years away from Earth and has a spatial radius of 42 light-years. It is a close neighbor of globular cluster M70, with 1,800 light-years separating the two objects; both of these clusters lie close to the galactic center. It is one of the most metal-rich globular clusters known.
Coordinates: 18h 31m 23.23s, −32° 20′ 52.7″
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