Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Lyra (Lyr)  ·  Contains:  M 56  ·  NGC 6779
M56 Globular Cluster, autonm
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M56 Globular Cluster

M56 Globular Cluster, autonm
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M56 Globular Cluster

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Description

Newcastle, UK

Messier 56 is a *globular cluster in the constellation Lyra.

M56 is about 32,900 light-years away from Earth and measures roughly 84 light-years across, containing 230,000 solar masses. It is about 31–32 ly from the Galactic Center.

This cluster has an estimated age of 13.70 billion years and is following a retrograde orbit through the Milky Way. The properties of this cluster suggest that it may have been acquired during the merger of a dwarf galaxy, of which Omega Centauri forms the surviving nucleus. 

M56 is part of the Gaia Sausage, the hypothesised remains of a merged dwarf galaxy.

*A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, giving them their spherical shapes and high concentrations of stars toward their centers. Their name is derived from Latin globulus—a small sphere. Globular clusters are occasionally known simply as globulars.

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M56 Globular Cluster, autonm