M25

Credits: Keith Turnecliff, Nerja, Spain

Messier 25, also known as IC 4725, is an open cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Sagittarius. The first recorded observation of this cluster was made by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and it was included in Charles Messier's list of nebulous objects in 1764. The cluster is located near some obscuring features, with a dark lane passing near the center. M25 is at a distance of about 2,000 light-years light-years away from Earth and is 67.6 million years old. The spatial dimension of this cluster is about 13 light-years across. It has an estimated mass of 1,937 M☉, of which about 24% is interstellar matter.

Facts about M25 by Keith Turnecliff

The cluster lies at a distance of 2,000 light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 4.6. Its designation in the Index Catalogue is IC 4725. Messier 25 is about 19 light years across, covering an area of 32 arc minutes in the sky. It is one of the Messier objects that are visible to the naked eye under good conditions, with clear, dark skies and no light pollution.