M12 (NGC 6218)
Constellation: Oph
Object Type: Globular Cluster
RA: 16h 47m 14s
Dec: -1° 56' 49"
Magnitude: 6.6
Recommended minimum aperture: 50mm
Charts for 70mm Binocular (4° aperture circle). Click on a chart to print it.
Location:
M12 is very close to the NE apex of an equilateral triangle that has δ and ζ Oph as its other apexes.
What You Should See:
At magnitude 6.6, M12 is an easy object in 70mm binoculars in moderately good skies. Its core is less distinct than that of the nearby M10, with which it should be compared, not least because M12 is useful marker for finding M10, which is just over 3° to the SE. Like all globulars, it benefits from averted vision.
