- M 53 (NGC 5024) and NGC 5053
This is a mosaic of two images showing a pair of globular clusters in the constellation Coma Berenices. The bright, compact cluster on the right is M 53, while the sparse cluster on the left is NGC 5053. They are located about a degree apart in the sky. M 53 is a huge object with a physical diameter of around 230 LY, but its great distance (61,270 LY) makes it appear less impressive than if it were closer. NGC 5053 has an unusual low density of stars and lacks the bright core of typical globular clusters, like M 53. Physically, it is much smaller than M 53, with a diameter of around 160 LY, but appears comparable in size to M 53 because it lies only 53,500 LY away.
M 53 was first discovered by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in February of 1775. Messier made an independent discovery of it in February of 1777. William Hershel was the first to resolve M 53 into individual stars. He also discovered NGC 5053 in March of 1783.
|
Return to SOCO Image Gallery