Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  M 3  ·  NGC 5263  ·  NGC 5272
M3 Globular Cluster, Julio Cruz
M3 Globular Cluster
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M3 Globular Cluster

M3 Globular Cluster, Julio Cruz
M3 Globular Cluster
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M3 Globular Cluster

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Description

Messier 3 (M3 or NGC 5272) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. It was discovered on May 3, 1764 and was the first Messier object to be discovered by Charles Messier himself. Messier originally mistook the object for a nebula without stars. This mistake was corrected after the stars were resolved by William Herschel around 1784. Since then, it has become one of the best-studied globular clusters. This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old. It is located at a distance of about 33,900 light-years away from Earth.

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M3 Globular Cluster, Julio Cruz