Full size partial crop
| Catalogue and alternative designations | M73
|
| Type | Asterism |
| Position | 05 25 05, -68 28 16 |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Camera and Telescope | STXL11002 and 36.8 cm Ritchey Chretien |
| Focal Ratio | F9 |
| Exposure Details | LRGB 30:30:30:30 all exposures binned 2x2 |
| Description | M73 was discovered by Messier in 1780 and described as a cluster with some nebulosity. The "nebulosity" was probably a reflection of the quality of 18th century telescopes and is now known to be non-existent. M73 is simply an asterism of four unrelated bright stars and as a result is the least impressive object in the Messier catalogue. The apparent magnitude is 9 and it is about 2.8' in apparent diameter. |