NGC 5946 is a globular cluster in Norma, 31,400 light-years away
NGC 5946 is a globular cluster in the constellation Norma , 31,400 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.6 and spans 3′ of sky, about 27 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
Globular cluster: a ball of 100,000 to a few million old stars packed into a sphere about 100 light-years across. About 160 orbit the Milky Way, most of them in the halo around its center.
Finding NGC 5946 from ζ Lup
ζ Lup
NGC 5946
NORMA
NGC 5946 lies 3.9° east of ζ Lup , the magnitude 3.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 5946 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -77° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -77° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -80° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -18° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -80° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -75° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -75° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 67° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -0° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 75° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 75° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 39°N, and never sets south of 39°S.
NGC 5946 is 31,400 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5946 tonight left it about 31,400 years ago. It ranks 50 of 78 by distance among the star clusters on Go Astronomy. Distance source: Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of NGC 5946
No other Messier, Caldwell or Herschel 400 object lies within 6°.
NGC 5946 catalog data
Field Value
Type globular cluster Constellation Norma Right ascension (J2000) 15h 35.5m Declination (J2000) -50° 40′ Magnitude 9.6 Apparent size 3′ True size 27 light-years Distance 31,400 light-years (Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021) Best month July Best with Telescope
