Messier 68 is a globular cluster in Hydra, 33,900 light-years away
Messier 68 (M68, NGC 4590, MWSC 2059) is a globular cluster in the constellation Hydra , 33,900 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 8.0 and spans 11′ of sky, about 108 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.
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 68 from Kraz
Kraz
Messier 68
HYDRA
Messier 68 lies 3.5° south of Kraz , the magnitude 2.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 68 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -57° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -57° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -67° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -77° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -87° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -64° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -83° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -63° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -58° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -44° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 83° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 86° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 77° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -18° 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 63°N, and never sets south of 63°S.
Messier 68 is 33,900 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 68 tonight left it about 33,900 years ago. It ranks 61 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Messier 68
No other Messier, Caldwell or Herschel 400 object lies within 6°.
Messier 68 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M68, NGC 4590, MWSC 2059 Type globular cluster Constellation Hydra Right ascension (J2000) 12h 39.5m Declination (J2000) -26° 45′ Magnitude 8.0 Apparent size 11′ True size 108 light-years Distance 33,900 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month May Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 66
