NGC 1261 is a globular cluster in Horologium, 53,500 light-years away
NGC 1261 (Caldwell 87) is a globular cluster in the constellation Horologium , 53,500 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 8.3 and spans 7′ of sky, about 109 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in December.
Globular cluster: a ball of 100,000 to a few million old stars packed into a sphere about 100 light-years across. About 160 orbit the Milky Way, most of them in the halo around its center.
Finding NGC 1261 from Achernar
Achernar
NGC 1261
HOROLOGIUM
NGC 1261 lies 13.2° east of Achernar , the magnitude 0.5 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 1261 is highest in the evening in December
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -68° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -83° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -78° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -63° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -49° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -65° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -82° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -77° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -73° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -70° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -64° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -38° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 14° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 3° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 44° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 53° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 64° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 43° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 74° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 35°N, and never sets south of 35°S.
NGC 1261 is 53,500 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 1261 tonight left it about 53,500 years ago. It ranks 70 of 109 by distance among the 109 Caldwell objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of NGC 1261
No other Messier, Caldwell or Herschel 400 object lies within 6°.
NGC 1261 catalog data
Field Value
Designations Caldwell 87, NGC 1261 Type globular cluster Constellation Horologium Right ascension (J2000) 03h 12.3m Declination (J2000) -55° 13′ Magnitude 8.3 Apparent size 7′ True size 109 light-years Distance 53,500 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month December Best with Binoculars
