NGC 6453

NGC 6453 is a globular cluster approximately 37,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Scorpius.^[3][2]

NGC 6453
NGC 6453, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	IV [1]
Constellation	Scorpius
Right ascension	17h 50m 51.71s [2]
Declination	−34° 35′ 59.60″ [2]
Distance	37.8 kly (11.6 kpc) [1][3]
Apparent magnitude (V)	10.10 [1]
Apparent dimensions (V)	21.5′[1]
Physical characteristics
Mass	169,000 [3] M☉
Metallicity	${\displaystyle {\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{\ce {Fe}}/{\ce {H}}\right]\end{smallmatrix}}}$ = –1.50 [3] dex
Other designations	ESO 393-SC 036, GC 5878, h 3707[4]
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

The cluster is located approximately 1 kpc (~3,260 light-years) from the Galactic Center,^[5] which results in confounded view of the cluster from the Solar System due to many intervening clouds of cosmic dust.^[6]

The cluster measures nearly 8' across, and its brightest stars are no brighter than 14th magnitude.^[6]

Observational history

NGC 6453 was discovered by John Herschel on June 8, 1837,^[7][1][6] while he was observing from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.^[8] He included the cluster as "h 3708" in his 1864 Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, and Danish-Irish astronomer John Dreyer later added the cluster to his New General Catalogue as object number 6453.^[6] Dreyer described the cluster as "considerably large, irregularly round, pretty much brighter (in the) middle, round".^[6]

See also

• Globular cluster
• List of NGC objects (6001–7000)
• Scorpius (constellation)