In the constellation of Lepus you can find the second known extragalactic Globular Cluster listed in Messier´s catalogue: M79 (the other one is M54).It seems to belong to the Dwarf Galaxy in Canis Major,which at the moment has a close encounter to our Milky Way.
There are many red bright giants to be found inside.
Its apparent magnitude of 8,5mag makes it possible to detect it in binoculars as a foggy spot of 9 arcminutes in diameter.The real distance of M79 is about 40.000 light years
Pierre Mécain discovered this cluster in 1780.
position (epoch 2000):
RA.: 05h 24m 10.59s[
Decl.: −24° 31′ 27.3″
imaga data:
LRGB image with L =synth. from all RGBs, RGB = 7x1200s each a total of 7.0 hours
80cm f/7 AstroOptik Keller corrected cassegrain, FLI Proline 16803, Astrodon LRGB GenII filters
Prompt 7 CTIO/UNC Chile,remote controlled
image processing: Bernd Flach-Wilken
this is a 82% FOV look to M79:click here for full resolution
here is a more detailed view to M79:
here you can find a look to M79 taken with the HST