NGC 6496

NGC 6496
250px Processed Hubble image of the globular cluster
Observation data
Class	XII
Constellation	Scorpius
Right ascension	17h 59m 03.68s
Declination	−44° 15′ 57.4″
Distance	36.9 kly (11.3 kpc)
Physical characteristics
Mass	8.2×104 M☉
Metallicity	–0.70 dex
Estimated age	12.42 Gyr

NGC 6496 is a globular cluster which is in the direction of the bulge and putative members of this subgroup, based on observations collected with the WFPC2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 6496 was originally believed to be a member of the disc system of GC, but scientists questioned this classification. It was instead suggested that NGC 6496, together with two other clusters, NGC 6624 and NGC 6637, could be halo clusters with strongly inclined orbits. NGC 6496 lies in the Southern sky at RA=17:59:03.68 and Dec=-44:15:57.4.

The first CMD presented of NGC 6496 had photometry reaching 2 mag below the horizontal branch, disclosing for the first time the usual red arm of the metal-rich clusters. The extinction towards NGC 6496 is uncertain, with estimates ranging between E(B-V) = 0.09 and E(B-V) = 0.24.

Gallery

• A heavy-metal home.jpg

  NGC 6496 hosts a selection of long-period variables and short-period eclipsing binaries.