M62 - NGC 6266

Messier 62 (NGC 6266) is a dense globular cluster located approximately 22,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus, very close to the galactic center. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771 but not accurately positioned until 1779. M62 is one of the most irregularly shaped globular clusters in the Messier catalog, with its core noticeably offset toward its southeastern edge. This asymmetry is thought to result from the cluster's frequent passages through the dense central regions of the Milky Way, where strong tidal forces distort its shape. The cluster lies only about 6,100 light-years from the galactic center, making it one of the closest Messier globulars to the heart of our galaxy. M62 is densely packed, with a Shapley-Sawyer concentration class of IV, and contains hundreds of thousands of stars within a diameter of about 100 light-years. The cluster is exceptionally rich in variable stars, particularly RR Lyrae stars, with nearly 90 known variables. It also contains a significant number of X-ray sources, suggesting the presence of close binary systems and possibly millisecond pulsars, which are common in dense globular cluster cores where stellar encounters frequently occur. Through binoculars, M62 appears as a bright, fuzzy star. In a 6-inch telescope, it shows a bright, concentrated core with a halo of unresolved starlight. Larger telescopes can begin to resolve individual stars around the edges while the dense core remains unresolved. M62's southern location makes it better observed from lower latitudes.

M62 spans about 100 light-years in diameter, contains hundreds of thousands of stars, and lies approximately 22,500 light-years from Earth and just 6,100 light-years from the galactic center.