< Messier Index
M12

Messier 12, from 2MASS
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class IX
Constellation Ophiuchus
Right ascension 16h 47m 14.52s[1]
Declination -01° 56′ 52.1″[1]
Distance 16.0 kly (4.9 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V) +7.68[1]
Apparent dimensions (V) 16′.0
Physical characteristics
Mass kg ( M)
Radius 37.2 ly[2]
Other designations NGC 6218[1]

Messier 12 or M 12 (also designated NGC 6218) is a w:globular cluster in the w:constellation of w:Ophiuchus. It was discovered by w:Charles Messier on w:May 30, w:1764.

Located roughly 3° in the sky from the cluster M10, M12 is about 16,000 w:light-years from Earth and has a spatial diameter of about 75 light-years. The brightest stars of M12 are of 12th magnitude. It is rather loosely packed for a globular and was once thought to be a tightly concentrated w:open cluster. Thirteen w:variable stars have been recorded in this cluster.

A study published in w:2006 concluded that this cluster has an unusually low number of low mass stars. The authors surmise that they were stripped from the cluster by the gravitational influence of the w:Milky Way.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for NGC 6218. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  2. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 37.2 ly. radius
 
Messier Index
M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M7 • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M12 • M13 • M14 • M15 • M16 • M17 • M18 • M19 • M20 • M21 • M22 • M23 • M24 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M28 • M29 • M30 • M31 • M32 • M33 • M34 • M35 • M36 • M37 • M38 • M39 • M40 • M41 • M42 • M43 • M44 • M45 • M46 • M47 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M51 • M52 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M59 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M63 • M64 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M68 • M69 • M70 • M71 • M72 • M73 • M74 • M75 • M76 • M77 • M78 • M79 • M80 • M81 • M82 • M83 • M84 • M85 • M86 • M87 • M88 • M89 • M90 • M91 • M92 • M93 • M94 • M95 • M96 • M97 • M98 • M99 • M100 • M101 • M102 • M103 • M104 • M105 • M106 • M107 • M108 • M109 • M110
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