M15
Great Pegasus Cluster
Eigenschaften
Position & Bezeichnungen
Sichtbarkeit
Standort in den Benutzereinstellungen festlegen um Sichtbarkeitsdaten zu sehen.
Durchmusterungsbild
Durchmusterungsbild wird geladen…
Über M15
Beschreibung
The Great Pegasus Cluster is one of the densest globular clusters known, located about 33,600 light-years away in Pegasus. It contains over 100,000 stars packed into a sphere about 175 light-years across, with an extremely dense core that may harbor a central black hole. M15 has undergone 'core collapse' — its core has contracted to an extraordinarily dense state.
Beobachtungstipps
Located about 4 degrees northwest of Enif (Epsilon Pegasi), the nose of the winged horse. Visible in binoculars as a bright, star-like fuzzy point. A 4-inch telescope at 100x shows a bright, intensely concentrated glow. An 8-inch telescope resolves stars in the outer regions while the core remains a brilliant, unresolved blaze. The planetary nebula Pease 1 within the cluster is visible in large amateur scopes. Best observed from August through November.
Geschichte
Discovered by Jean-Dominique Maraldi on September 7, 1746. Charles Messier cataloged it in 1764. In 1928, the planetary nebula Pease 1 was discovered within M15 — only four planetary nebulae are known in globular clusters.
Wissenswertes
M15 is one of only a few globular clusters known to have undergone core collapse, where gravitational interactions cause the core to contract to extreme density. It may contain a rare intermediate-mass black hole at its center. The cluster also contains two known pulsars and an X-ray binary system — evidence of the violent stellar interactions in its ultra-dense core.
Community-Fotos (1)
Credit: Ngc1535. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026