Messier 7
 M7 imaged by La Silla Observatory. Author: ESO | |
| Object type | Open cluster  |
|---|---|
| Other designations | NGC 6475, Ptolemy Cluster |
Observation data (Epoch J2000.0) | |
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| 17h 53.9m | |
| Declination | −34° 49′ |
| Distance | 0.8 kly / 245 Pc |
In visual light (V) | |
| 3.3 | |
Size | 80.0′ |
| Radius | 20 ly |
| Estimated age | 220 million years |
 Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
Messier 7 (also known as M7, NGC 6475, or the Ptolemy Cluster) is an open cluster in the constellation Scorpius. Sometimes referred to as Akumen.
It was known to Ptolemy, who described it as a nebula, by 130 AD. Giovanni Batista Hodierna observed the cluster before 1654 and counted 30 stars in it. Charles Messier catalogued the cluster in 1764 and subsequently included it in his list of comet-like objects as M7. The cluster is easily detectable with the naked eye close to the "stinger" of Scorpius.
Telescopic observations of the cluster reveal about 80 stars within a field of view of 1.3° across. At the cluster's estimated distance of 800-1000 light years this corresponds to an actual diameter of 18-25 light years. The age of the cluster is around 220 million years while the brightest star is of magnitude 5.6.
External links
- Messier 7, SEDS Messier pages
- Messier 7 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
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