NGC 6397 Ara Globular Cluster

Capture

Seestar s50 67 stacks

Date

14 July 2026

Location

Camden, NSW

Original

2160 × 3840 px

NGC 6397 Ara Globular Cluster is a globular cluster in the constellation Ara located about 7,800 light-years from Earth, making it one of the two nearest globular clusters to Earth, the other one being Messier 4. The cluster contains around 400,000 stars, and its age is estimated to be 13,400 ± 800 million years hence most of its stars are very poor in elements heavier than helium. It has undergone a core collapse, meaning that the core has contracted to a very dense stellar agglomeration. The core was reported to contain a relatively dense concentration of compact objects, white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. It is theoretically visible to the naked eye under exceptionally dark skies, but binoculars make it much easier to detect, appearing as a small, round, misty glow. Apparent magnitude 5.7.

See it in the star clusters gallery