Discovered 1745-46 by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux.
Independently rediscovered by Charles Messier on June 20, 1764.
In the catalogs of Bode, Smyth, and Webb, but not in John Herschel's
and the NGC catalogs.
According to Kenneth Glyn Jones, rediscovered by Julius Schmidt in 1866.
Added to the IC catalog from data by Solon I. Bailey in 1908.
[Mem. Acad. for 1771, p. 445 (first Messier catalog)]
In the same night [June 20 to 21, 1764], I have determined the position of
another star cluster in the vicinity of the two preceding, between the head
& the extremity of the bow of Sagittarius, & almost on the same
parallel as the two others: the closest known star is that of the sixth
magnitude, the twenty-first of Sagittarius, in the catalog of Flamsteed:
this cluster is composed of small stars which one sees with difficulty with
an ordinary [non-achromatic] refractor of 3 feet: it doesn't contain any
nebulosity, & its extension may be 10 minutes of arc. I have determined
its position by comparing with the star Mu Sagittarii; its right ascension
has been found at 274d 25', & its declination at 19d 5' south.
[p. 456]
1764.Jun.20. RA: 274.25. 0, Dec: 19. 5. 0.A, Diam: 0.10.
Cluster of small stars in the vicinity of the two preceding, between the head
& the extremity of the bow of Sagittarius: this cluster doesn't contain
any nebulosity.
M. 25 18h 23m 17s 109d 2'.0 Cl of S st [cluster of small (faint) stars] M. 48 8h 6m 54s 91d 32'.1 Cl of S st [cluster of small (faint) stars]
Last Modification: March 25, 2005