NGC 5466 is a globular cluster in Boötes, 52,600 light-years away
NGC 5466 (Herschel 400 no. 298, GCL 27) is a globular cluster in the constellation Boötes , 52,600 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.0 and spans 6.6′ of sky, about 101 light-years across. It is visible in 10×50 or larger binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in June.
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 5466 from Arcturus
Arcturus
NGC 5466
BOÖTES
NGC 5466 lies 9.6° north of Arcturus , the magnitude -0.1 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 5466 is highest in the evening in June
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 45° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 62° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 68° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 55° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 68° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 77° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 69° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 67° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 79° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 37° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -51° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 61° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -61° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -70° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -68° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -79° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -31° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -71° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -83° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -68° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -77° 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 northern hemisphere and south to about 61°S, and never sets north of 61°N.
NGC 5466 is 52,600 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5466 tonight left it about 52,600 years ago. It ranks 160 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of NGC 5466
NGC 5466 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 5466, Herschel 400 no. 298, GCL 27 Type globular cluster Constellation Boötes Right ascension (J2000) 14h 05.5m Declination (J2000) +28° 32′ Magnitude 9.0 Apparent size 6.6′ True size 101 light-years Distance 52,600 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month June Best with Large binoculars Herschel 400 number 298
