M79   NGC1904, AlBroxton

M79 NGC1904

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Description

Messier 79 (also known as M79 or NGC1904) is a globular cluster in the Lepus constellation. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780. M79 is at a distance of about 41,000 light years away from Earth and 60,000 light years away from the Galactic Center. Like Messier 54 (the other extragalactic globular on Messier's list), it is thought that M79 is not native to the Milky Way galaxy at all, but instead to the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy which is currently experiencing a very close encounter with the Milky Way—one it is unlikely to survive intact. This is, however, a contentious subject as astronomers are still debating the nature of the Canis Major dwarf galaxy itself. M79 is a beautiful globular cluster at a quite unusual location in the sky: Most globulars are grouped around the Galactic center, but this is one of the few which are situated in the other hemisphere, i.e. it is beyond us for hypothetical observers in the central stellar bulge of our Milky Way galaxy. It is little over 40,000 light years from us, but about 60,000 light years from the galactic center. At this distance, M79's apparent diameter of 9.6 minutes of arc corresponds to a linear extension of about 118 light years. This cluster is slightly elliptical, extended at position angle 45 deg, and has only 7 known variables. It is receding from us at about 200 km/sec.

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M79   NGC1904, AlBroxton