Messier 19 is a globular cluster in Ophiuchus, 27,200 light-years away
Messier 19 (M19, NGC 6273, MWSC 2519) is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus , 27,200 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 6.9 and spans 17′ of sky, about 135 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, 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 Messier 19 from Antares
Antares
Messier 19
OPHIUCHUS
Messier 19 lies 7.4° east of Antares , the magnitude 1.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 19 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -48° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -53° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -75° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -83° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -68° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -82° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -56° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 47° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -46° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 72° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -39° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 81° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 82° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 75° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 67° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -15° 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 64°N, and never sets south of 64°S.
Messier 19 is 27,200 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 19 tonight left it about 27,200 years ago. It ranks 53 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Messier 19
NGC 6284, globular cluster, 1.6° NGC 6293, globular cluster, 1.7° NGC 6287, globular cluster, 3.6° NGC 6316, globular cluster, 3.6° M62, globular cluster, 3.9° NGC 6304, globular cluster, 4.1° NGC 6235, globular cluster, 4.6° NGC 6355, globular cluster, 4.8°
Messier 19 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M19, NGC 6273, MWSC 2519 Type globular cluster Constellation Ophiuchus Right ascension (J2000) 17h 02.6m Declination (J2000) -26° 16′ Magnitude 6.9 Apparent size 17′ True size 135 light-years Distance 27,200 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month July Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 84
