NGC 4372

NGC 4372
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Class	XII[1]
Constellation	Musca
Right ascension	12h 25m 45.43s[2]
Declination	−72° 39′ 32.7″[2]
Distance	18.9 kly (5.8 kpc)[3]
Apparent magnitude (V)	9.85[2]
Apparent dimensions (V)	18'
Physical characteristics
Absolute magnitude	-8.52
Mass	3.29×105[3] M☉
Radius	49.5 ly
Metallicity	${\displaystyle {\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{\ce {Fe}}/{\ce {H}}\right]\end{smallmatrix}}}$ = –2.33±0.08[4] dex
Estimated age	12.54 Gyr[5]
Other designations	Caldwell 108
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

NGC 4372 (also known as Caldwell 108) is a globular cluster in the southern constellation of Musca. It is southwest of γ Muscae (Gamma Muscae) and west of the southern end of the Dark Doodad Nebula (Sandqvist 149), a 3° thin streak of black across a southern section of the great plane of the Milky Way.

NGC 4372 "is partially obscured by dust lanes, but still appears as a large object some 10 arcseconds in diameter," according to Astronomy of the Milky Way (2004).^[6]

The cluster has highly peculiar chemistry similar to NGC 5694, being extremely iron-poor yet having super-solar abundances of magnesium and titanium.^[4]

References

External links

• Media related to NGC 4372 at Wikimedia Commons
• NGC 4372 at Wikisky
• NGC 4372 at Astrosurf
• NGC 4372 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
• NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad (31 January 2013)