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Messier 56 is a globular star cluster located 33,000 light years away, in the constellation Lyra, not far away from the only other Messier object in this constellation, M57. It has a magnitude of 8.3 and contains about 80,000 stars having a total combined mass of 230,000 solar masses. This cluster presents two peculiarities: the first one is its possible origin. One of the leading theories, about this matter, says that M56 is the remainder of a small galaxy (or huge globular) that was “absorbed” by the Milky Way. This is the known origin of another globular in our galaxy: Omega Centauri (NGC 5139). The second peculiarity (probably as a consequence of the previous one) is that M56 follows a retrograde orbit around the galactic center.
Additional Information
Object
Name(s): Messier 56. M56. NGC 6779
Type: Globular Cluster
RA: 19h 16m 35s
Dec: +30º 11’ 04”
Constellation: Lyra
Size (arcmin): 9×9 arc min
Magnitude: +8.5
Distance: 33,000 ly
Image
Date: 2021-03-26 to 29
Location: Curiosity2 Observatory, New Mexico Skies, Mayhill, NM, USA
Size (arcmin): 31×31 arcmin
Telescope: 24” (61 cm) f/6.5 Reflector
Camera: FLI PL16803 (4096x4096pix)
Guiding: Astrodon MonsterMOAG off-axis guider
Total exposure: 5h 40m (L: 1h 40m; RGB: 4h)
Processing: CCDStack, Photoshop CC 2021