SkyKeepsake page about the star Tianfu

Tianfu is a globular cluster situated in the Aql constellation. It is a relatively faint, low-magnitude star, designated as magnitude 5.224. Its distance from Earth is approximately 534.9 light-years. Tianfu is part of a cluster located within the Milky Way galaxy. Located at RA 301.0347°, Dec 7.2780° and with a visual magnitude of 5.224, it’s not a particularly vibrant stellar element.

The visible star Tianfu is known for its unique morphology – it’s believed to be a relatively young, rapidly contracting globular cluster. While its precise formation history remains a subject of ongoing research, this cluster represents one of the oldest known in the Aql constellation. Its designation as a globular cluster, with its relatively low surface brightness and large radius, makes it remarkably inconspicuous from the night sky. It represents a relatively dark region within the galactic halo, requiring specialized observation techniques to fully understand it.

Tianfu's symbolic value likely arises from its unusual placement within a cosmological framework. In some traditions, globular clusters represent ancient, stable systems— a kind of ancient 'memory' of the universe. Their subtle luminosity points toward a long and quiet history of stellar formation and evolution, providing a focal point for contemplating the vast timescales that have passed between the birth and death of cosmic elements, suggesting a peaceful, underlying stability.

How to see it

Tianfu has a visual magnitude of about 5.22: under a reasonably dark sky it is typically reachable with the unaided eye.

Sky position

Equatorial coordinates for Tianfu: right ascension 20h 4m 8s, declination +7° 16′ 41″ (J2000), on the celestial sphere.

Catalog context

Tianfu. It appears in classical and modern catalogs as Bayer/Flamsteed designation 63Tau Aql, HIP 98823, HD 190327, Gaia DR3 4298688082015247744.

Catalog identifiers

Gaia

Gaia DR3 4298688082015247744

HIP

98823

HD

190327

gaia_dr3

4298688082015247744

Bayer / Flamsteed

63Tau Aql

Observed properties

Visual magnitude

5.22