NGC 6144 is a globular cluster in Scorpius, 26,600 light-years away
NGC 6144 (Herschel 400 no. 316, GCL 42) is a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius , 26,600 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.0 and spans 5.4′ of sky, about 42 light-years across. It is visible in 10×50 or larger binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
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 6144 from Antares
Antares
NGC 6144
SCORPIUS
NGC 6144 lies 38′ northwest of Antares , the magnitude 1.1 star. That is within one binocular field.
NGC 6144 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -76° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -85° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -65° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -83° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 74° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 29° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 3° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 84° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 86° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 76° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -19° 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 64°N, and never sets south of 64°S.
NGC 6144 is 26,600 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6144 tonight left it about 26,600 years ago. It ranks 146 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of NGC 6144
NGC 6144 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 6144, Herschel 400 no. 316, GCL 42 Type globular cluster Constellation Scorpius Right ascension (J2000) 16h 27.2m Declination (J2000) -26° 01′ Magnitude 9.0 Apparent size 5.4′ True size 42 light-years Distance 26,600 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month July Best with Large binoculars Herschel 400 number 316
