M68

M68, also known as Messier 68 or NGC 4590, is a globular cluster located in the constellation Hydra. It is a relatively sparse cluster, meaning its stars are not as densely packed as in some other globular clusters. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1780, M68 is situated about 33,000 light-years away from Earth.

The cluster is visible through small to medium-sized telescopes and appears as a faint, fuzzy patch of light. Its apparent magnitude is around 7.8, making it a challenging target for naked-eye observation. M68 contains approximately 100,000 stars, and its age is estimated to be around 11 to 12 billion years old, making it one of the older globular clusters in our galaxy.

Astronomical observations have revealed a notable population of millisecond pulsars within M68. These are rapidly rotating neutron stars that are thought to have been spun up by accreting matter from a companion star. The presence of these pulsars has made M68 a subject of interest for astrophysicists studying stellar evolution and compact objects. The cluster is located near the southern edge of the constellation Hydra, making it more easily observable from the Southern Hemisphere.