Messier 71 is a globular cluster in Sagitta, 13,000 light-years away
Messier 71 (M71, NGC 6838, MWSC 3200) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagitta , 13,000 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 7.2 and spans 7.2′ of sky, about 27 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in September.
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 71 from Telum
Telum
Messier 71
SAGITTA
Messier 71 lies 1.4° southwest of Telum , the magnitude 3.5 star. That is within one binocular field.
Messier 71 is highest in the evening in September
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 58° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 45° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 67° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 75° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 71° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 80° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 76° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -69° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -10° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -70° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -77° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 59° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -81° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 50° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -70° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -76° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -64° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -67° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -50° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 30° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -20° 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 71°S, and never sets north of 71°N.
Messier 71 is 13,000 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 71 tonight left it about 13,000 years ago. It ranks 43 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Messier 71
Messier 71 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M71, NGC 6838, MWSC 3200 Type globular cluster Constellation Sagitta Right ascension (J2000) 19h 53.8m Declination (J2000) +18° 47′ Magnitude 7.2 Apparent size 7.2′ True size 27 light-years Distance 13,000 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month September Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 76
