M68 - Globular Cluster in Hydra
Image Date: April 2019 - Equipment: 10 in. RC Telescope - Apogee U8300 Camera - Paramount MX Mount
M68 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 that 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.
1
http://www.messier.seds.org/m/m068.html
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_68
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 that 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.
1
http://www.messier.seds.org/m/m068.html
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_68