Messier 67

 In the 18th century, while searching the night sky for comets, French astronomer Charles Messier kept noting the presence of fixed, diffuse objects he initially mistook for comets. In time, he would come to compile a list of approximately 100 of these objects, hoping to prevent other astronomers from making the same mistake. This list – known as the Messier Catalog – would go on to become one of the most influential catalogs of Deep Sky Objects.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Apparent magnitude (V): 6.1

Distance: ~2.61–2.93 kly (800–900 pc)

Declination: +11° 49′

Right ascension: 08h 51.3m

Radius: 10 ly

Constellation: Cancer

Apparent dimensions (V): 30.0

One of these objects is the open star cluster known as Messier 67, aka. the King Cobra Cluster. Located in the Cancer Constellation, and with age estimates ranging from 3.2 and 5 billion years, this cluster is one of the oldest clusters known. And at a distance of roughly 2610 and 2930 (800 – 900 pc) from Earth, it is the closest of any of the older open star clusters.

Previous Object: Messier 66/\ Next Object: Messier 68

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