NGC 5897

NGC 5897
NGC 5897
	The globular cluster NGC 5897 imaged with an amateur telescope.
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	XI
Constellation	Libra
Right ascension	15h 17m 24.40s
Declination	−21° 00′ 36.4″
Distance	24.1 kly; (7.4 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)	8.52
Physical characteristics
Radius	6.3' x 6.3'
Metallicity	= -2.04±0.15 dex
Other designations	GCl 33, C 1514-208
	See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

NGC 5897 is a globular cluster in the constellation Libra. This satellite of the Milky Way, which is quite remote (located about 41,000 light years away), has a diameter of over 170 light years. With its Shapley–Sawyer Concentration Class of XI, it has very low star density even in its center.^[3]

The stars of the cluster have only 0.91% of the Sun's metallicity,^[5] while the abundance of elements produced by the alpha process is roughly 5 times larger.^[4] This means that the cluster formed in a time before the galaxy formed a disk and spiral arms. However, some of the stars are apparently younger, indicating multiple star-forming epochs.^[4]

NGC 5897 has a diameter of 12.6 arcminutes and an apparent magnitude of 8.5.

References

^ Shapley, Harlow; Sawyer, Helen B. (August 1927), "A Classification of Globular Clusters", Harvard College Observatory Bulletin, 849 (849): 11–14, Bibcode:1927BHarO.849...11S.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "NGC 5897". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
^ ^a ^b "NGC 5897". Retrieved 7 January 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Koch, Andreas; McWilliam, Andrew (2014), "The chemical composition of a regular halo globular cluster: NGC 5897", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 565: A23, arXiv:1403.1262, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201323119, S2CID 53958921
^ "A Galactic Globular Clusters Database: NGC 5897". Retrieved 8 January 2017.