Mercer 3
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Globular cluster Mercer 3 |
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| 2MASS infrared image, Mercer 3 can be seen on the bottom center. | |
| AladinLite | |
| Constellation | sign |
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Position equinox : J2000.0 , epoch : J2000.0 |
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| Right ascension | 18 h 18 m 30 s |
| declination | −16 ° 58 ′ 36 ″ |
| Appearance | |
| Brightness (visual) | 24 likes |
| Angular expansion | 39 ″ |
| Physical data | |
| distance | 13000 - 26000 ly (4000 - 8000 pc ) |
| Dimensions | 2-3 × 10 5 M ☉ |
| diameter | 4–10 years |
| Age | 12 gyr years |
| history | |
| Catalog names | |
Mercer 3 is a globular cluster that is located in the constellation Shield in the disk of the Milky Way and is heavily obscured by it. It was found in the 2MASS and GLIMPSE infrared survey data in 2004 , and identified as a globular cluster in 2008. Because of the extinction, the obscuration by the matter of the Milky Way in the foreground, it has a brightness of only 24 mag in the visible and therefore remained undetected for a long time. Mercer 3 is believed to be 4-8 kpc away and has a 0.7 to 1.5 pc radius at which the brightness decreases by half.
Mercer 3 is an old globular cluster, 12 billion years old; the mass is 200,000-300,000 solar masses .