47 Tucanae
47 Tucanae is a globular cluster located in the constellation Tucana. It can be seen with the naked eye (just) and is a spectacular object when seen through a good backyard telescope.
Image based on data from the Very Large Telescope
Credit: ESO
Facts About 47 Tucanae:
- About 120 ly across.
- About 10 billion years old.
- The 2nd brightest globular cluster in the sky after Omega Centauri.
- One of the most massive globular clusters in the Galaxy, containing millions of stars.
- The dense core contains a number of exotic stars of scientific interest.
Classification: Globular Cluster
Names: 47 Tucanae, 47 Tuc, NGC 104, Caldwell 106, Mel 1, GCl 1, 1RXS J002404.6-720456
Constellation: TucanaDistance: 1.58e+17 km (16700 ly)
Discovered: 1751 by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, its southern location having hidden it from European observers until then.
Magnitude: 4.9100 (app)