Messier 70 (also M70, NGC 6681, ESO 458-SC3 and GCL 101) is a magnitude +8.0 globular star cluster, 29,300 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. The cluster is about 68 light-years in diameter and is located near the center of the Milky Way. The cluster under a dark sky can be observed with a pair of 7x50 or 10x50 binoculars.
The cluster was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier using a 8.38 cm (3.3-inch) refracting telescope at the Hôtel de Cluny (now the Musée national du Moyen Age), in Paris, France on the 31st August 1780
Right Ascension 18h 43m 12.76s, Declination -32° 17' 31.6"
It is roughly the same size and luminosity as its neighbour in space, M69. Read more
In this image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the brilliance of the compact center of Messier 70, a globular cluster. Quarters are always tight in globular clusters, where the mutual hold of gravity binds together hundreds of thousands of stars in a small region of space. Having this many shining stars piled on top of one another from our perspective makes globular clusters a popular target for amateur skywatchers and scientists alike. Read more