Messier Index/M12

M12 280px Messier 12, from 2MASS J2000 IX Ophiuchus 16 47 14.52SIMBAD Astronomical Database Results for NGC 6218 http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad 2006-11-15 -01 56 52.1 16.0 kly 4.9 kpc +7.68 16′.0 37.2 lydistance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 37.2 ly. radius NGC 6218 Messier 12 or M 12 (also designated NGC 6218) is a w:globular cluster in the w:constellation of w:Ophiuchus. It was discovered by w:Charles Messier on w:May 30, w:1764. Located roughly 3° in the sky from the cluster M10, M12 is about 16,000 w:light-years from Earth and has a spatial diameter of about 75 light-years. The brightest stars of M12 are of 12th magnitude. It is rather loosely packed for a globular and was once thought to be a tightly concentrated w:open cluster. Thirteen w:variable stars have been recorded in this cluster. A study published in w:2006 concluded that this cluster has an unusually low number of low mass stars. The authors surmise that they were stripped from the cluster by the gravitational influence of the w:Milky Way. External links Messier 12 Messier 12 Messier 12, SEDS Messier pages Messier 12, Galactic Globular Clusters Database page 'Stolen' stars article at Universe Today References