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| At an estimated 58,000 light years away, Messier 53 is a fairly distant globular cluster, but it is bright and easy to see. Through large amateur scopes, its stars are well resolved. The cluster is about 220 light years in diameter. |
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| Evening visibility: | April-August | ||
| Best viewed with: | telescope | ||
| Printable chart (pdf) | View larger image | ||
| Directions: Start by finding the Spring Triangle, which consists of three widely-separated first magnitude stars--Arcturus, Spica, and Regulus. The Spring Triangle is high in the southeast sky in early spring, and in the southwest sky by mid-Summer. (To get oriented, you can use the handle of the Big Dipper and "follow the arc to Arcturus"). For this star hop, begin from brilliant Arcturus (magnitude 0). |
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| From Arcturus, look 5 degrees to the west to find 2nd magnitude Muphrid, then continue along this line twice that distance, and look for α (alpha) Coma Berenices. Although it is the brightest star in the constellation, α Coma Berenices is only magnitude 4.3, and it may be difficult to see with the naked eye under light polluted skies. Once you have located α, move just 1 degree to the northeast to find M53, which should be easy to spot in any telescope. | |||
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| Star charts created with Cartes du Ciel | |||