Globular Cluster M3
A bright globular cluster in Canes Venatici, containing an estimated 500,000 stars. Visible as a fuzzy patch in binoculars.
Globular cluster in Canes Venatici. Magnitude 6.2.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 69° above the northern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 65° above the northern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 15 Apr, in the middle of its season. The page works out tonight's rise, highest point and set for both towns in Guyana time (UTC-4), and where the Moon is.
What you'll see
- Your eyes: Not visible to the eye.
- 10x50 binoculars: A round glow, brighter towards the middle.
- A small telescope (80 to 100 mm): A bright ball; at 100x its edge turns grainy and starts to resolve under dark skies.
- A camera: Spans about 40% of an APS-C frame at 2,000 mm (field 0.7° × 0.4°); needs a tracking mount.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 16′, 51% of the Moon's width (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 6.2. Fainter than the faintest stars in Georgetown (4.3) and Lethem (6.0): binoculars or a telescope.
- Distance: 33,900 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 34,000 years ago.
What it is made of
- Type
- Globular Cluster
- Distance
- Approx. 33,900 Lightyears
- True size
- Approx. 180 Lightyears diameter
- Old Stars (Half a Million): One of the largest and brightest globulars
- RR Lyrae Variable Stars: High number, used as distance indicators
More deep-sky objects: Coma Star Cluster (Melotte 111) · Globular Cluster M5 · Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) · M92 (Globular Cluster) · Globular Cluster M4 · Beehive Cluster (M44)