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

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M3 Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici, autonm
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M3 Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici

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Newcastle, UK

M3 Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici

Messier 3 is a *globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. 

Many amateur astronomers consider it one of the finest northern globular clusters, following only Messier 13. M3 has an apparent magnitude of 6.2, making it a difficult naked eye target even with dark conditions.

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 centered at 32,615.64 light-years away from Earth.



*Globular Cluster
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 found in nearly all galaxies. In spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, they are mostly found in the outer, spheroidal part of the galaxy—the galactic halo. They are the largest and most massive type of star cluster, tending to be older, denser, and composed of fewer heavy elements than open clusters, which are generally found in the disks of spiral galaxies. The Milky Way has over 150 known globulars and possibly many more undiscovered.

The origin of globular clusters and their role in galactic evolution remain unclear.

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M3 Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici, autonm