Globular Cluster NGC 5897

NGC 5897
NGC 5897: Section of PanSTARRS/DR1 Color [147]

History

This globular cluster was discovered on 10 March 1785 by the famous German-British astronomer William Herschel using his selfmade reflecting telescope of 20 foot focal length (aperture 18.7 inch) in Slough near Windsor in Great Britain. He classified it as cataloged it as VI 19 (class VI = very compressed and rich clusters of stars) and noted: «A beautiful larg cluster of the most minute and most compressed stars of different sizes. 6 or 7' diameter, irregular round, faint, red colour». [463] His son John cataloged it as h 3596, GC 4075 and Dreyer added it in 1888 as NGC 5897.

Physical Properties

NGC 5897 is a metal-poor globular cluster in the Galactic halo. In astronomy everything heavier than Helium is a «metal». It is located at a moderate distance from the Sun 12.5 kpc and 7 kpc away from the galactic center. NGC 5897 is known to harbor several variable stars, mainly of type RR Lyrae. [527]

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
Designation NGC 5897
Type GCL (XI)
Right Ascension (J2000.0) 15h 17m 24.5s
Declination (J2000.0) -21° 00' 35"
Diameter 11 arcmin
Visual magnitude 8.4 mag
Metric Distance 12.500 kpc
Dreyer Description globular, pF, L, viR, vgbM, rrr
Identification, Remarks WH VI 19; h 3596; GC 4075; GCL 33; ESO 582-SC2

Finder Chart

The globular cluster NGC 5897 is located in constellation Libra. The best time to observe it is from March to June.

Finder Chart Globular Cluster NGC 5897
Globular Cluster NGC 5897 in constellation Libra. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. [149, 160]

Objects Within a Radius of 20°

References