Globular cluster · Columba
NGC 1851
Also known as: C73
mag 7.19′ across
About
NGC 1851 is a globular cluster of magnitude 7.1 in Columba, about 9′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 1851 is in the constellation Columba.
- Best evenings: around late January it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 40° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small fuzzy star.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Resolves into a swarm of stars at medium power, with a dense core.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 1851, C73 |
|---|---|
| Type | Globular cluster |
| Magnitude | 7.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 9′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Surface brightness | ≈ 20.5 mag/arcsec²Estimate from the magnitude and size, per square arcsecond. |
| Constellation | Columba |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 14m 06.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −40° 02′ 48″ |
More in Columba
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →