Globular Star Clusters M53 and NGC5053 in the Constellation Coma Berenices

 

The Globular star cluster M53 ( centre left), the Globular star cluster NGC5053 (bottom left) and the star Alpha Comae Berenices (centre right). Imaged from the Jodrell Plank Observatory (27 and 28 April 2025) using the Seestar S30 in EQ and Mosaic mode. Image Credit Pip Stakkert.

"Clear a steady night and early morning here in Lowestoft. We managed to capture and stack in mosaic mode over 175x 30 second RAW exposures using the little Seestar S30. Quite a lot of satellites in this area of the sky, which required post processing to remove them". - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

"M53 (Messier 53) and NGC 5053 are two globular star clusters located in the constellation Coma Berenices, and they are relatively close to each other in the sky. Despite their proximity, they show some intriguing differences in structure and composition. Here’s a detailed comparison:

🌟 M53 (Messier 53)

Type: Globular cluster

Distance from Earth: ~58,000 light-years

Apparent Magnitude: ~7.6 (visible with binoculars or a small telescope)

Diameter: ~220 light-years

Metallicity: [Fe/H] ≈ –2.06 (very metal-poor)

Stellar Population: Contains many old, low-metallicity stars.

Concentration: Fairly dense, with a concentrated core and halo.

Location: Roughly 1° away from NGC 5053 in the sky.

🌟 NGC 5053

Type: Globular cluster

Distance from Earth: ~53,500 light-years

Apparent Magnitude: ~9.0 (fainter, needs a larger telescope)

Diameter: ~160 light-years

Metallicity: [Fe/H] ≈ –2.3 (even more metal-poor than M53)

Stellar Population: Very sparse; stars are faint and less numerous.

Concentration: One of the least concentrated globular clusters known.

Location: Close in the sky to M53, often imaged together.

🔍 Similarities

Both are globular clusters located in the same constellation (Coma Berenices).

Both are metal-poor, suggesting they contain very old stars—likely among the oldest in the Milky Way.

Both lie at a similar distance from Earth (around 50,000–60,000 light-years).

They may be gravitationally interacting or have had past interactions, with some evidence of tidal streams possibly linking them". - Credit: Chat GPT