About NGC 5272 (M3)

NGC 5272 is frequently observed by amateur astronomers and shows up as a faint patch of light. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 29° altitude and reaches 62° around 10:04 PM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 7 hours.

Observing conditions matter, structure becomes clearer under good conditions.

Observing tips

It requires patience and good conditions.

What to expect

With larger apertures, more structure becomes visible.

It offers less structure than some of the brightest galaxies.

Type

Globular Cluster

Constellation

Canes Venatici

Distance

33900 ly

Size

18.6'

Season

Spring

Difficulty

Easy

Magnitude

6.2