Palomar 3 is a globular cluster in Sextans, 309,000 light-years away
Palomar 3 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sextans , 309,000 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 14.3 and spans 1.6′ of sky, about 144 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in April.
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 Palomar 3 from Regulus
Regulus
Palomar 3
SEXTANS
Palomar 3 lies 11.9° south of Regulus , the magnitude 1.4 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
Palomar 3 is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 69° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 78° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -66° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -78° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 83° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -68° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -83° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 64° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 78° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -66° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -78° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 59° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -69° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -59° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -17° 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 northern hemisphere and south to about 90°S.
Palomar 3 is 309,000 light-years away
The light seen from Palomar 3 tonight left it about 309,000 years ago. It is the farthest of the star clusters on Go Astronomy. Distance source: Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Palomar 3
Palomar 3 catalog data
Field Value
Type globular cluster Constellation Sextans Right ascension (J2000) 10h 05.5m Declination (J2000) +00° 04′ Magnitude 14.3 Apparent size 1.6′ True size 144 light-years Distance 309,000 light-years (Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021) Best month April Best with Telescope
