M30
Jellyfish Cluster
Propriétés
Position et Identifiants
Visibilité
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À propos de M30
Description
M30 is a compact globular cluster in Capricornus, about 26,100 light-years from Earth. It has undergone core collapse, giving it an extremely dense central region. The cluster spans about 93 light-years and contains several hundred thousand stars estimated to be 12.9 billion years old.
Conseils d'Observation
Located about 3.5 degrees southeast of Zeta Capricorni. One of the last Messier objects to rise in autumn. In binoculars it appears as a small, bright fuzzy spot. A 4-inch telescope shows a bright, strongly concentrated core. An 8-inch telescope at high power resolves stars in the outer halo while the core remains an intense blaze. Best observed from August through October; it sets early, so observe soon after dark.
Histoire
Discovered by Charles Messier on August 3, 1764. He described it as a round nebula without stars. Like M15, it is one of the few globular clusters known to have undergone core collapse.
Faits Amusants
M30 is one of about 20 globular clusters known to have undergone core collapse — a gravitational runaway that compresses the core to extreme densities. The collapsed core has produced many blue stragglers through stellar collisions and mergers. M30's orbit takes it on a retrograde path around the Milky Way, suggesting it may have been captured from a dwarf galaxy.
Photos de la Communauté (1)
Credit: NASA/ESA. License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026