Messier Index/M62
Messier 62 (also known as M62 or NGC 6266) is a w:globular cluster in the w:constellation w:Ophiuchus. It was discovered in w:1771 by w:Charles Messier.
| Messier 62 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observation data (w:J2000 epoch) | |
| Class | IV |
| Constellation | w:Ophiuchus |
| Right ascension | 17h 01m 12.60s[1] |
| Declination | -30° 06′ 44.5″[1] |
| Distance | 22.5 kly[citation needed] (6.9 kpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +7.39[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 15′.0 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | kg ( M) |
| Radius | 49 ly[2] |
| Other designations | NGC 6266, GCl 51[1] |
M62 is at a distance of about 22,500 w:light-years from w:Earth and measures some 100 light-years across. From studies conducted in the 1970s it is known that M62 contains the high number of 89 w:variable stars, many of them of the w:RR Lyrae type. The globular also contains a number of w:x-ray sources, thought to be close w:binary star systems, and millisecond w:pulsars in binary systems.
