Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Palomar globular clusters
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The Palomar globulars have been discovered fairly late due to them being very faint, heavily obscured, remotely located or having few member stars. For this reason, these were discovered only with the enormous 48-inch <a href="/facts/Schmidt_camera/qpNBUu25">Schmidt camera</a> at Palomar. Some of the astronomers who identified these objects as globular clusters include <a href="/facts/George_O._Abell/q3HwuP1G">George Abell</a>, <a href="/facts/Fritz_Zwicky/E4S5dcmD">Fritz Zwicky</a>, <a href="/facts/Edwin_Hubble/fpX3JlbJ">Edwin Hubble</a>, <a href="/facts/Halton_Arp/aNz1ICvp">Halton Arp</a> and <a href="/facts/Walter_Baade/olu54Cof">Walter Baade</a>. All Palomar globulars except two, Palomar 7 (IC1276) and Palomar 9 (NGC6717), have never been seen before. Palomar 9 was observed by <a href="/facts/William_Herschel/SsruaBvq">William Herschel</a> back on August 7, 1784. Palomar 7 was first discovered by an American astronomer <a href="/facts/Lewis_A._Swift/RaWUr3C7">Lewis Swift</a> in 1889, and was independently rediscovered by George Abell as part of the survey in 1952.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="palomar-globular-catalogue">Palomar Globular catalogue</h2> Catalogue of Palomar globular clusters<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th>Palomar</th><th><a href="/facts/Constellation/nBQqgW8A">Constellation</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Right_ascension/z4CEsTFu">RA</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Declination/5X4S4k9u">DEC</a></th><th>Size (<a href="/facts/Minute_and_second_of_arc/tybs6YGC">arcmin</a>)</th><th><a href="/facts/Apparent_magnitude/7pCTF1Me">Magnitude</a></th><th>Distance from <a href="/facts/Sun/CadPCVHh">sun</a> (<a href="/facts/Light-year/IGc5NdQb">kly</a>)</th><th>Distance from <a href="/facts/Galactic_Center/TI4MwWwM">Galactic Centre</a> (kly)</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_1/zkB6236k">1</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Cepheus_(constellation)/tlzYj8lT">Cepheus</a></th><th>03h 33m 23.0s</th><th>+79d:34m:50s</th><th>2.8</th><th>13.18</th><th>35.6</th><th>55.4</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_2/AYavlPe7">2</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Auriga_(constellation)/dDDxtEJx">Auriga</a></th><th>04h:46m:05.9s</th><th>+31d:22m:51s</th><th>2.2</th><th>13.04</th><th>90.0</th><th>115.5</th></tr><tr><th>3</th><th><a href="/facts/Sextans/bsyhocXp">Sextans</a></th><th>10h:05m:31.4s</th><th>+00d:04m:17s</th><th>1.6</th><th>14.26</th><th>302.3</th><th>312.8</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_4/CjlVPHX3">4</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Ursa_Major/BFhHcvbW">Ursa Major</a></th><th>11h:29m:16.8s</th><th>+28d:58m:25s</th><th>1.3</th><th>14.20</th><th>356.2</th><th>364.6</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_5/ugQ2kmgA">5</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Serpens/4XteSy68">Serpens</a></th><th>15h:16m:05.3s</th><th>-00d:06m:41s</th><th>8.0</th><th>11.75</th><th>75.7</th><th>60.7</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_6/ecRUmj6m">6</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Ophiuchus/8hQ48ttM">Ophiuchus</a></th><th>17h:43m:42.2s</th><th>-26d:13m:21s</th><th>1.2</th><th>11.55</th><th>19.2</th><th>7.2</th></tr><tr><th>7 (IC 1276)</th><th><a href="/facts/Serpens/4XteSy68">Serpens</a></th><th>18h:10m:44.2s</th><th>-07d:12m:27s</th><th>8.0</th><th>10.34</th><th>17.6</th><th>12.1</th></tr><tr><th>8</th><th><a href="/facts/Sagittarius_(constellation)/ljtU4DQ2">Sagittarius</a></th><th>18h:41m:29.9s</th><th>-19d:49m:33s</th><th>5.2</th><th>11.02</th><th>42.1</th><th>18.3</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/NGC_6717/Ak4qTqCX">9 (NGC 6717)</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Sagittarius_(constellation)/ljtU4DQ2">Sagittarius</a></th><th>18h:55m:06.2s</th><th>-22d:42m:03s</th><th>5.4</th><th>9.28</th><th>23.1</th><th>7.8</th></tr><tr><th>10</th><th><a href="/facts/Sagitta/f5ymNKSV">Sagitta</a></th><th>19h:18m:02.1s</th><th>+18d:34m:18s</th><th>4.0</th><th>13.22</th><th>19.2</th><th>20.9</th></tr><tr><th>11</th><th><a href="/facts/Aquila_(constellation)/p90KeceQ">Aquila</a></th><th>19h:45m:14.4s</th><th>-0.8d:00m:26s</th><th>10</th><th>9.80</th><th>42.4</th><th>25.8</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_12/3yP09Djr">12</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Capricornus/YzjQKasz">Capricornus</a></th><th>21h:46m:38.8s</th><th>-21d:15m:03s</th><th>2.9</th><th>11.99</th><th>62.3</th><th>51.9</th></tr><tr><th>13</th><th><a href="/facts/Pegasus_(constellation)/DpwfGQuF">Pegasus</a></th><th>23h:06m:44.4s</th><th>+12d:46m:19s</th><th>0.7</th><th>13.80</th><th>84.1</th><th>87.0</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Palomar_14/nQ4sgIFT">14</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Hercules_(constellation)/o1UvvU2T">Hercules</a></th><th>16h:11m:04.9s</th><th>+14d:57m:29s</th><th>2.2</th><th>14.74</th><th>241.0</th><th>225.0</th></tr><tr><th>15</th><th><a href="/facts/Ophiuchus/8hQ48ttM">Ophiuchus</a></th><th>17h:00m:02.4s</th><th>-00d:32m:31s</th><th>3.0</th><th>14.00</th><th>145.5</th><th>123.6</th></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="visual-observation">Visual observation</h2> <p>The Palomar globulars can be observed and identified by amateur astronomers, however dark skies and high power are required. Astronomers have made reports on visual observations using 17.5 inch and larger <a href="/facts/Telescope/BDwYahhR">telescopes</a>, while others have identified the brightest Palomar globulars with more modest sizes of 10 inch <a href="/facts/Telescope/BDwYahhR">telescopes</a> or less.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> Overall, there is great variability in the level of difficulty to observe these objects, yet, for successful observation, skies with no <a href="/facts/Light_pollution/AD03VyzX">light-pollution</a> and excellent seeing conditions coupled with high power (at least 200 power <a href="/facts/Magnification/ACFaV1Bd">magnification</a>) are necessary. Many Palomars are small objects and require the observer to know how to navigate the sky precisely, and rely on <a href="/facts/Averted_vision/eJNjfrxL">averted vision</a> when needed. In some Palomars, visual observers can resolve individual stars, while others look hazy. Palomar 9 (NGC 6717) is the easiest object to observe of the Palomar globulars, while Palomar 15 is regarded as the most difficult. </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.deepsky-visuell.de/Projekte/PalomarGC_E.htm">Amateur sketches and visual observation notes on Palomar globulars</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.deep-sky.co.uk/observing/palglobs/palglobs.htm">Images and short descriptions of Palomar globulars</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/palglob.htm">Viewing tips on observing Palomar globulars</a></li> <li><a href="https://physics.mcmaster.ca/~harris/mwgc.dat">Database for Milky Way globular clusters (including Palomar globulars)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/474020-observing-palomar-globular-clusters/">Cloudy Nights forum discussion topic on visual observation of Palomar globulars</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Abell, G. O. (1955). "Globular Clusters and Planetary Nebulae Discovered on the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 67 (397): 258–261. Bibcode:1955PASP...67..258A. doi:10.1086/126815. ISSN 0004-6280. JSTOR 40676260. S2CID 208869169. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086%2F126815" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1086%2F126815</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Rosenberg, A., Saviane, I., Piotto, G., Aparicio, A., & Zaggia, S. R. (1998). Palomar 1: Another Young Galactic Halo Globular Cluster?. The Astronomical Journal, 115(2), 648. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Bonatto, Charles; Chies-Santos, Ana L (2020-04-01). "Lifting the dust veil from the globular cluster Palomar 2". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 493 (2): 2688–2693. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa510. hdl:10183/212352. ISSN 0035-8711. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/493/2/2688/5741731" target="_blank">https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/493/2/2688/5741731</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Catelan, M.; Ferraro, F. R.; Rood, R. T. (2001-10-20). "Horizontal-Branch Models and the Second-Parameter Effect. IV. The Case of M3 and Palomar 3". The Astrophysical Journal. 560 (2): 970–985. arXiv:astro-ph/0106554. Bibcode:2001ApJ...560..970C. doi:10.1086/323049. ISSN 0004-637X. S2CID 17178717. <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1086/323049" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1086/323049</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Zonoozi, Akram Hasani; Haghi, Hosein; Küpper, Andreas H. W.; Baumgardt, Holger; Frank, Matthias J.; Kroupa, Pavel (2014-06-01). "Direct N-body simulations of globular clusters – II. Palomar 4". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 440 (4): 3172–3183. arXiv:1404.5969. doi:10.1093/mnras/stu526. ISSN 1365-2966. <a href="http://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/440/4/3172/1125164/Direct-Nbody-simulations-of-globular-clusters-II" target="_blank">http://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/440/4/3172/1125164/Direct-Nbody-simulations-of-globular-clusters-II</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Bonaca, Ana; Pearson, Sarah; Price-Whelan, Adrian M.; Dey, Arjun; Geha, Marla; Kallivayalil, Nitya; Moustakas, John; Muñoz, Ricardo; Myers, Adam D.; Schlegel, David J.; Valdes, Francisco (2020-01-27). "Variations in the Width, Density, and Direction of the Palomar 5 Tidal Tails". The Astrophysical Journal. 889 (1): 70. arXiv:1910.00592. Bibcode:2020ApJ...889...70B. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab5afe. ISSN 1538-4357. S2CID 203626938. <a href="/wiki/Marla_Geha" target="_blank">/wiki/Marla_Geha</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Lee, J. W., & Carney, B. W. (2002). Near-Infrared Photometry of the Globular Cluster Palomar 6. The Astronomical Journal, 123(6), 3305. <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Barbuy, B., Ortolani, S., & Bica, E. (1998). Terzan 3 and IC 1276 (Palomar 7): Two metal-rich bulge globular clusters uncovered. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 132(3), 333-340. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, Vol. 45, p. 53-60 (1981) <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Ortolani, S., Barbuy, B., & Bica, E. (1999). Colour-magnitude diagrams of the post-core collapse globular clusters NGC 6256 and NGC 6717 (Palomar 9). Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 136(2), 237-243. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Kaisler, D., Harris, W. E., & McLaughlin, D. E. (1997). Palomar 10 and NGC 6749: A Study in Contrasts. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 109(738), 920. <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Brian, Lewis, M. S. Liu, W. M. Paust, N. E. Q. Chaboyer (2006-01-13). A New Color-Magnitude Diagram for Palomar 11. OCLC 691210799.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) <a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/691210799" target="_blank">http://worldcat.org/oclc/691210799</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Cohen, J. (2003). Pal 12 As A Part of the Sgr Stream; the Evidence From Abundance Ratios. arXiv preprint astro-ph/0311187. <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>M. H. Siegel et al 2001 AJ 121 935 <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Sollima, A.; Martínez-Delgado, D.; Valls-Gabaud, D.; Peñarrubia, J. (2010-12-14). "Discovery of Tidal Tails Around the Distant Globular Cluster Palomar 14". The Astrophysical Journal. 726 (1): 47. arXiv:1010.6303. doi:10.1088/0004-637x/726/1/47. ISSN 0004-637X. S2CID 118471604. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-637x%2F726%2F1%2F47" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-637x%2F726%2F1%2F47</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Myeong, G. C.; Jerjen, Helmut; Mackey, Dougal; Da Costa, Gary S. (2017-05-11). "Tidal Tails around the Outer Halo Globular Clusters Eridanus and Palomar 15". The Astrophysical Journal. 840 (2): L25. arXiv:1704.07690. Bibcode:2017ApJ...840L..25M. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa6fb4. ISSN 2041-8213. S2CID 118856686. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3847%2F2041-8213%2Faa6fb4" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3847%2F2041-8213%2Faa6fb4</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"Palling Around With Palomar Globular Clusters". Sky & Telescope. 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2022-06-04. <a href="https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/palling-around-with-the-palomar-globular-clusters/" target="_blank">https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/palling-around-with-the-palomar-globular-clusters/</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Harris, W. E. (1996). A Catalog of Parameters for Globular Clusters in the Milky Way. AJ 112, 1487. <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"The Palomar Globulars". www.astronomy-mall.com. Retrieved 2022-06-03. <a href="https://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/palglob.htm" target="_blank">https://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/palglob.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"The Palomar Globular Clusters". www.deep-sky.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-03. <a href="http://www.deep-sky.co.uk/observing/palglobs/palglobs.htm" target="_blank">http://www.deep-sky.co.uk/observing/palglobs/palglobs.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>