# NGC 5053

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Globular cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 5053 Observation data (J2000 epoch) Class XI Constellation Coma Berenices Right ascension 13h 16m 27.09s[1] Declination +17° 42′ 00.9″[1] Distance 17.4 kpc (57 kly)[2] Apparent magnitude (V) 9.96[3] Apparent dimensions (V) 10.5' Physical characteristics Tidal radius 89.13 pc (290.7 ly)[2] Metallicity [Fe/H] = −2.30[3] dex Estimated age 12.3±0.7 Gyr[4] Other designations Cr 267, C 1313+179, GCl 23 See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

**NGC 5053** is a [globular cluster](/source/Globular_cluster) in the northern [constellation](/source/Constellation) of [Coma Berenices](/source/Coma_Berenices). It was discovered by German-British astronomer [William Herschel](/source/William_Herschel) on March 14, 1784 and cataloged as VI-7. In his abbreviated notation, he described it as "an extremely faint cluster of extremely small stars with resolvable nebula 8 or 10′ diameter, verified by a power of 240, beyond doubt".[5] Danish-Irish astronomer [John Louis Emil Dreyer](/source/John_Louis_Emil_Dreyer) reported in 1888 that the cluster appeared, "very faint, pretty large, irregular round shape, growing very gradually brighter at the middle".[6]

This is a metal-poor cluster, meaning the stars have a low abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium—what astronomers term [metallicity](/source/Metallicity). As recently as 1995, it was considered the most metal-poor globular cluster in the [Milky Way](/source/Milky_Way).[7] The chemical abundances of the stars in NGC 5053 are more similar to those in the dwarf galaxy [Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy](/source/Sagittarius_Dwarf_Spheroidal_Galaxy) than to the [Milky Way halo](/source/Milky_Way_halo). Along with the [kinematics](/source/Kinematics) of the globular cluster, this suggests that NGC 5053 may have been stripped from the dwarf galaxy.[8]

There are ten known [RR Lyrae variable](/source/RR_Lyrae_variable) stars in this cluster with masses ranging from 68% to 78% of the [solar mass](/source/Solar_mass). Nine of these variables were reported by German astronomer [Walter Baade](/source/Walter_Baade) in 1928, and the tenth by American astronomer [Helen Sawyer](/source/Helen_Sawyer_Hogg) in 1946.[9] The cluster hosts 27 known [blue stragglers](/source/Blue_straggler),[4] of which five are short period [SX Phoenicis variable](/source/SX_Phoenicis_variable) stars.[9]

NGC 5053 is a relatively low mass cluster with a low core concentration factor of 1.32. It sports a stream of [tidal debris](/source/Tidal_debris) to the west with a projected length of 1.7 kpc. This stream may have been created through [shock](/source/Tidal_shock)-induced processes.[10] The cluster is located less than 1° from [Messier 53](/source/Messier_53) and the two have nearly the same [distance modulus](/source/Distance_modulus), which corresponds to a spatial separation of around 2 kpc. There is a tidal bridge joining M53 to NGC 5053, suggesting the pair may have interacted in the past.[2] The cluster is following an orbit through the [Milky Way](/source/Milky_Way) that has a [perigalacticon](/source/Perigalacticon) distance of 9 kpc and an [orbital eccentricity](/source/Orbital_eccentricity) of 0.84.[10] At present, it is 18.4 kpc from the [Galactic Center](/source/Galactic_Center), with a [radial velocity](/source/Radial_velocity) of 42.0±1.4 km/s.[2]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-aj140_6_1830_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-aj140_6_1830_1-1) Goldsbury, Ryan; et al. (December 2010), "The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. X. New Determinations of Centers for 65 Clusters", *The Astronomical Journal*, **140** (6): 1830–1837, [arXiv](/source/ArXiv_(identifier)):[1008.2755](https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.2755), [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2010AJ....140.1830G](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010AJ....140.1830G), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1088/0004-6256/140/6/1830](https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-6256%2F140%2F6%2F1830), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [119183070](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:119183070).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-boberg2015_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-boberg2015_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-boberg2015_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-boberg2015_2-3) Boberg, Owen M.; et al. (May 2015), "Chemical Abundances in NGC 5053: A Very Metal-poor and Dynamically Complex Globular Cluster", *The Astrophysical Journal*, **804** (2): 12, [arXiv](/source/ArXiv_(identifier)):[1504.01791](https://arxiv.org/abs/1504.01791), [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2015ApJ...804..109B](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015ApJ...804..109B), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1088/0004-637X/804/2/109](https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-637X%2F804%2F2%2F109), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [117834526](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:117834526), 109.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Dalessandro2012_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Dalessandro2012_3-1) Dalessandro, Emanuele; et al. (November 2012), "Ultraviolet Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters with Galex. II. Integrated Colors", *The Astronomical Journal*, **144** (5): 13, [arXiv](/source/ArXiv_(identifier)):[1208.5698](https://arxiv.org/abs/1208.5698), [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2012AJ....144..126D](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012AJ....144..126D), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1088/0004-6256/144/5/126](https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-6256%2F144%2F5%2F126), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [56419886](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:56419886), 126.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-arellano2010_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-arellano2010_4-1) Arellano Ferro, A.; et al. (February 2010), "CCD time-series photometry of the globular cluster NGC 5053: RR Lyrae, Blue Stragglers and SX Phoenicis stars revisited", *Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society*, **402** (1): 226–244, [arXiv](/source/ArXiv_(identifier)):[0910.2068](https://arxiv.org/abs/0910.2068), [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2010MNRAS.402..226A](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010MNRAS.402..226A), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15931.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2966.2009.15931.x), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [119301509](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:119301509).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Herschel1786_5-0)** Herschel, William (1786), ["Catalogue of One Thousand New Nebulae and Clusters of Stars"](https://zenodo.org/record/1432282), *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London*, **76**: 457–499, [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1786RSPT...76..457H](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1786RSPT...76..457H), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rstl.1786.0027](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frstl.1786.0027)See p. 495.{{[citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Citation)}}: CS1 maint: postscript ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_postscript))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dreyer1971_6-0)** Dreyer, John L. E. (1971), ["New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars"](https://archive.org/details/NewGeneralCatalogueOfNebulaeAndClustersOfStarsIndexCatalogue), *Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society*: 141, retrieved 2016-08-08.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sarajedina1995_7-0)** Sarajedini, Ata; Milone, Alejandra A. E. (January 1995), "BVI CCD photometry of NGC 5053: The most metal-poor galactic globular cluster", *The Astronomical Journal*, **109** (1669): 269–279, [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1995AJ....109..269S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995AJ....109..269S), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1086/117271](https://doi.org/10.1086%2F117271).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sbordone2015_8-0)** Sbordone, L.; et al. (July 2015), "Chemical abundances of giant stars in NGC 5053 and NGC 5634, two globular clusters associated with the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy?", *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, **579**: 12, [arXiv](/source/ArXiv_(identifier)):[1505.01487](https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.01487), [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2015A&A...579A.104S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015A&A...579A.104S), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1051/0004-6361/201425509](https://doi.org/10.1051%2F0004-6361%2F201425509), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [55408091](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:55408091), A104.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nemec2004_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nemec2004_9-1) Nemec, James M. (April 2004), "Physical Characteristics of the RR Lyrae Stars in the Very Metal Poor Globular Cluster NGC 5053", *The Astronomical Journal*, **127** (4): 2185–2209, [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2004AJ....127.2185N](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004AJ....127.2185N), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1086/382903](https://doi.org/10.1086%2F382903).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Lauchner2006_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Lauchner2006_10-1) Lauchner, Adam; et al. (November 2006), "Discovery of a Tidal Stream Extending from NGC 5053", *The Astrophysical Journal*, **651** (1): L33–L36, [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2006ApJ...651L..33L](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006ApJ...651L..33L), [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1086/509254](https://doi.org/10.1086%2F509254).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [NGC 5053](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:NGC_5053).

- [Wide angle view with M53](https://twitter.com/xipteras/status/1201191848552882178) Panagiotis Xipteras

v t e New General Catalogue 5001 to 6000 5001 to 5100 5001 5002 5003 5004 5005 5008 5010 5011 5018 5020 5023 5024 5026 5030 5032 5033 5034 5042 5050 5053 5054 5055 5068 5078 5084 5085 5087 5090 5091 5098 5101 to 5200 5101 5102 5112 5114 5121 5128 5135 5139 5144 5161 5162/5174 5164 5170 5177 5185 5189 5194 5195 5198 5201 to 5300 5201 5204 5221 5223 5229 5235 5236 5238 5247 5248 5251 5252 5253 5256 5257 5258 5260 5264 5272 5273 5278 5279 5281 5286 5291 5300 5301 to 5400 5307 5308 5314 5315 5316 5322 5331 5334 5335 5343 5363 5364/5317 5371 5377 5384 5390 5394 5395 5398 5401 to 5500 5406 5408 5410 5416 5419 5422 5426 and 5427 5448 5455 5457 5460 5461 5466 5468 5470 5471 5473 5474 5475 5477 5483 5485 5486 5490 5493 5495 5500 5501 to 5600 5501 5502/5503 5504 5506 5508 5514 5516 5523 5529 5530 5532 5533 5535 5539 5541 5544 5545 5548 5557 5559 5566 5575/5578 5579 5582 5584 5585 5591 5597 5601 to 5700 5601 5605 5609 5613 5614 5615 5617 5619 5626 5629 5630 5634 5640 5641 5643 5653 5662 5665 5668 5676 5678 5679 5682 5683 5694 5701 to 5800 5701 5705 5713 5714 5719/5658 5722 5728 5746 5749 5750 5752 5753 5754 5755 5765 5772 5774 5775 5777 5778 5784 5790 5792 5793 5801 to 5900 5806 5820 5821 5822 5823 5824 5829 5837 5838 5844 5846 5850 5854 5856 5857 5861 5866 5875 5876 5879 5882 5885 5886 5890 5896 5897 5898 5901 to 6000 5904 5906 5907 5910 5915 5917 5920 5921 5925 5927 5928 5929 5930 5936 5939 5940 5949 5953 5957 5962 5963 5964 5965 5966 5970 5979 5980 5982 5985 5986 5988 5996 5999 6000 Astronomical catalog List of NGC objects 5001–6000

v t e Constellation of Coma Berenices List of stars in Coma Berenices Coma Berenices in Chinese astronomy Stars Bayer α (Diadem) β γ Flamsteed 7 11 12 13 14 16 17 21 23 (Phyllon Kissinou) 24 31 35 36 37 41 Variable FK GP IN LW HR 4668 HD 107146 108863 108874 110067 114762 b 115404 116029 Other 2MASS J12195156+3128497 KELT-6 WASP-56 WISE 1217+1626 Exoplanets HD 108874 b c KELT-6b Star clusters Coma Star Cluster Messier 53 NGC 4147 NGC 5053 Nebulae LoTr 5 Galaxies Messier 64 (Black Eye Galaxy) 85 88 91 98 99 100 NGC 4014 4015 4017 4053 4056 4060 4061 4065 4066 4070 4072 4074 4076 4084 4086 4089 4090 4091 4092 4093 4095 4098 4136 4146 4150 4162 4185 4189 4203 4211 4212 4213 4222 4237 4245 4253 4262 4274 4278 4293 4298 4302 4308 4310 4312 4314 4323 4328 4340 4359 4375 4383 4393 4394 4414 4419 4448 4450 4455 4459 4468 4473 4474 4475 4477 4479 4489 4494 4495 4498 4502 4506 4515 4516 4523 4525 4540 4555 4556 4558 4559 4561 4565 4571 4585 4595 4611 4614 4615 4633 4634 4651 4659 4670 4673 4676 (Mice Galaxies) 4689 4692 4710 4712 4725 4747 4839 4848 4860 4869 4871 4872 4873 4874 4875 4876 4881 4883 4886 4889 4892 4895 4907 4911 4919 4921 4944 5000 5004 5012 5032 5056 5172 Other 3C 275.1 3C 287 Arp 60 Coma Berenices Dragonfly 44 IC 755 (NGC 4019) IC 831 IC 860 IC 3505 IC 3528 IC 4040 IC 4051 IOK-1 IRAS F12032+1707 LEDA 83677 M85-HCC1 Malin 1 PGC 44691 PKS 1155+251 PKS 1222+216 VIRGOHI21 ZwCl 1305.4+2941 BCG Galaxy clusters Abell 1413 Coma I Coma Cluster Coma Supercluster M94 Group NGC 4065 Group NGC 4631 Group Astronomical events GRB 050509B iPTF14atg SN 1940B SN 1979C SN 2005ap SN 2006X SN 2020oi Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [NGC 5053](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_5053) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_5053?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.