Globular Cluster M69

Messier 69
M69 by Hubble Space Telescope; 3.5′ view Credit: NASA/STScI/
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	V
Constellation	Sagittarius
Right ascension	18h 31m 23.10s
Declination	−32° 20′ 53.1″
Distance	29.7 kly (9.1 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)	+8.31
Apparent dimensions (V)	9′.8
Physical characteristics
Radius	42 ly
Metallicity	${\displaystyle {\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{\ce {Fe}}/{\ce {H}}\right]\end{smallmatrix}}}$ = –0.78dex
Estimated age	13.06 Gyr
Other designations	M69, NGC 6637, GCl 96
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

Messier 69 (also known as M69 or NGC 6637) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier on August 31, 1780, the same night he discovered M70. At the time, he was searching for an object described by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1751–2 and thought he had rediscovered it, but it is unclear if Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille actually described M69.

M69 is at a distance of about 29,700 light-years away from Earth and has a spatial radius of 42 light-years. It is a close neighbor of globular cluster M70, with 1,800 light-years separating the two objects; both of these clusters lie close to the galactic center. It is one of the most metal-rich globular clusters known.

As globular clusters go, M69 is one of the most metal-rich on record.

Map showing location of M69 (Roberto Mura)

Coordinates: 18^h 31^m 23.23^s, −32° 20′ 52.7″