NGC 6540

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NGC 6540
NGC6540 - HST - Potw2233a.jpg
Image of NGC 6540 by the Hubble Space Telescope in August, 2022
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Sagittarius
Right ascension 18h 06m 08.60s [1]
Declination −27° 45 55.0 [1]
Distance 17.3 kly
(5.3 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)9.30 [2]
Physical characteristics
Absolute magnitude -6.35 [2]
Radius4.75' x 4.75' [2]
Metallicity  = -1.35 [3] dex
Other designations Cr 364, Djorg 3, VDBH 258, C 1803-278 [1]
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

NGC 6540 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. Its apparent magnitude is 9.3 [2] and its diameter is about 9.5 arcminutes, with 12 faint stars visible. It is about 17,000 light years away from Earth and was discovered by Wilhelm Herschel on May 24, 1784, with an 18.7-inch mirror telescope, who described the cluster as "pretty faint, not large, crookedly extended, easily resolvable".

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "NGC 6540". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "NGC 6540" . Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  3. "A Galactic Globular Clusters Database: NGC 6540" . Retrieved 15 January 2017.