Deep in the southern skies in the constellation of Vela you can find this bright (8.2mag) Globular Cluster,measuring 18arcminutes in diameter.It ha a very low central condensation and can easily be resolved into single stars.
Also it has a high radial velocity (490 km/s),this isn´t high enough for escaping from our MlikyWay´s gravity.The real distance from our sun amounts to 16,300 light years.
NGC3201 was first seen by James Dunlop in 1826.
position (epoch 2000):
RA.: 10h 17m 36.82s
Decl.: –46° 24′ 44.9″
image 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 92% FOV picture of NGC3201.Click here for full resolution
here you can see a larger version of this GlobularCluster:
Here is a link to a HST picture,
and here you find an ESO publication of this Cluster