The constellation Lepus is the site of a
beautiful globular cluster known as M79. This cluster is unusual
because of its location in the sky. Most globular clusters are
grouped near the center of our galaxy. This one is much closer
to us. It is only 40,000 light-years from Earth but 60,000
light-years from the galactic center. It is believed to have a
diameter of around 100 light-years. It has a slightly elliptical
shape and is receding from us at about 200km/sec. At magnitude
8.0, it is a bright object and should be relatively easy to spot
in binoculars. A telescope is required to resolve the individual
stars in the cluster.
