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m22

Messier 22 (M22), also known as NGC 6656, is a globular cluster in the Milky Way. It lies in the southern constellation Sagittarius and is one of the most conspicuous globular clusters visible from Earth. With an apparent magnitude around 5.1 and an angular diameter of roughly 32 arcminutes, it is visible to the naked eye under very dark skies and appears as a rich, fuzzy patch through small telescopes or binoculars.

M22 is located in the inner regions of the Galaxy, near the Galactic center, at a distance

Discovery and cataloging history are anchored in the Messier catalog; M22 was included by Charles Messier in

of
about
10,000
to
13,000
light-years
from
the
Sun.
It
contains
hundreds
of
thousands
to
a
few
million
stars
and
exhibits
a
high
central
stellar
density.
The
cluster
is
metal-poor
relative
to
the
Sun,
reflecting
its
status
as
an
ancient
component
of
the
Galaxy.
Its
stellar
population
includes
numerous
red
giants
and
horizontal-branch
stars,
and
the
cluster
shows
typical
dense-cluster
dynamics
such
as
mass
segregation
and
a
compact
core.
1771.
The
cluster
continues
to
be
a
common
subject
of
study
in
both
professional
and
amateur
astronomy,
serving
as
a
benchmark
for
understanding
stellar
evolution,
dynamics
in
dense
stellar
systems,
and
the
structure
of
the
Milky
Way’s
inner
halo.
Its
brightness
and
size
make
it
a
popular
target
for
testing
telescope
performance
and
imaging
across
a
range
of
observing
equipment.