| NGC 6401 | |
|---|---|
 The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has used its powerful optics to separate the globular cluster NGC 6401 into its constituent stars. What was once only visible as a ghostly mist in the eyepieces of astronomical instruments has been transformed into a stellar landscape. | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Right ascension | 17h 38m 36.93s |
| Declination | −23° 54′ 31.5″ |
| Distance | 24.450 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 7.40 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 4.8' |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Other designations | ESO 520-SC011, GCL 73, H I-44, h 1982, h 3697, GC 4314 |
NGC 6401 is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. William Herschel discovered this star cluster in 1784 with his 47 cm telescope, but mistakenly believed it to be a bright nebula. Later his son, John Herschel, was to make the same error because the technology of the day was insufficient to allow the individual stars to be resolved visually.
External links
Media related to NGC 6401 at Wikimedia Commons- NGC 6401 SEDS.org (Revised NGC)
- NGC 6401 NASA Extragalactic Database
- Enigmatic cluster targeted by Hubble
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