Celestial Objects
Messier 68
Star Clusters
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
Messier 68, also known as M68 or NGC 4590, is a globular cluster of stars in the constellation Hydra, discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1780. It lies roughly 33,600 light-years from Earth and is thought, on the basis of its orbit and chemical composition, to be a captured cluster originally belonging to a dwarf galaxy accreted by the Milky Way rather than one that formed within our own galaxy.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.