| M69 and M70 are two small globular clusters near the bottom of the Sagittarius teapot shape. They are similar in size, brightness, and distance (about 29,000 light years away). Through a small telescope, each will appear as a small hazy ball with a brighter center, but no individual stars will be resolved. Large telescopes at high magnification can resolve some of their stars. |
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| Evening visibility: |
July-September |
| Best viewed with: |
telescope |
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Printable chart (pdf) |
View larger image |
Directions:
From mid-summer to early fall, the distinctive teapot shape of Sagittarius can be seen low in the southern sky during the evening. It is about 50 degrees south of Altair (part of the Summer Triangle) and about 30 degrees east of bright red Antares. It is well worth learning to recognize the teapot, for it can guide you to dozens of beautiful deep-sky objects.
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| Find ε (epsilon) Sagittarii at the west corner of the base of the teapot asterism. From ε, M69 is 2.5 degrees to the northeast. Through binoculars or a finderscope, two stars below M69 (both about magnitude 5.3 and circled in the chart below) can help point you to the right location. M70 is 2.5 degrees east of M69. |
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| Star charts created with Cartes du Ciel |
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