M 68
Scientific overview
M 68 is a globular cluster in the constellation Hydra. It shines at apparent magnitude 7.96 and spans about 6.6 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · M 68
| Distance | 32,616 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 62.61753 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | -93.2 ± 0.2 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 189.866583 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -26.744056 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2008MNRAS.389.1924F · catalogued value · source value 0.01 Mpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2018MNRAS.478.1520B · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2010AJ....140.1830G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2010AJ....140.1830G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Hydra
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 48M 48 · NGC 2548 | Open cluster | 5.8 | 28.2 |
| Southern Pinwheel GalaxyM 83 · NGC 5236 | Spiral galaxy | 7.21 | 13.61 |
| Jupiter's Ghost NebulaC 59 · NGC 3242 | Planetary nebula | 7.7 | 0.42 |
| NGC 3621NGC 3621 | Barred spiral galaxy | 9.55 | 9.79 |
| NGC 3923NGC 3923 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.6 | 6.89 |
| NGC 3585NGC 3585 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.69 | 6.61 |
| NGC 5694C 66 · NGC 5694 | Globular cluster | 10.89 | 3.3 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.