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Object: M68
Date: April 24/25, 2019 Location: Dark Sky Observatory, Davis Mountains Texas Telescope: 10 inch RC - Camera: Apogee ALTA U8300M - Mount: Paramount MX
Exposure: L = 230 min. - R,G,B = 60 min. each
Click on the image to view at resolution.
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M68 (Globular Cluster in Hydra)
1,2
M68, as listed in the Messier Catalog, is also designated NGC 4590. It is a globular cluster located approximately 33,600 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Hydra. The cluster's southerly location makes it a difficult target for northern observers. The cluster measures about 106 lightyears in diameter and has a relatively compressed core an may be undergoing core-collapse. M68 orbits within the Milky Way in a highly eccentric path that takes it as much as 100,000 light-years from the galactic center. M68 may be the core of a companion galaxy captured by the Milky Way. The stars that make up the cluster are metal-poor which, in astronomical terms, means they have a low content of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
1http://www.messier.seds.org/m/m068.html
2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_68
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