Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Kim 2

Kim 2, also known as Indus I, is a distant globular cluster in the constellation of Indus. It was discovered by Dongwon Kim of the Stromlo Milky Way Satellite Survey run by the Australian National University using the SkyMapper telescope images. Since it was so faint it needed examination by more powerful telescopes like those at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. It is possibly the core of a dwarf galaxy that has been swallowed up by the Milky Way. This cluster is unusual in that it has far fewer stars than most globular clusters. Kim 2 is more enriched in metals than most other outer globular clusters, suggesting that it formed later.

Last revised
Jul 17, 2026
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Kim 2
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationIndus
Right ascension21h 08m 49.970s1
Declination−51° 09′ 48.60″1
Distance104.7±4.1 kpc1
Apparent dimensions (V)0.28′ (half-mass diameter)
Physical characteristics
Absolute magnitude−1.5±0.51
Mass600 M☉
Metallicity[Fe/H] = −1.0+0.18
−0.211 dex
Estimated age11.5+2
−3.5 Gyr
Other designationsIndus I2

Kim 2, also known as Indus I,2 is a distant globular cluster in the constellation of Indus. It was discovered by Dongwon Kim of the Stromlo Milky Way Satellite Survey run by the Australian National University using the SkyMapper telescope images. Since it was so faint it needed examination by more powerful telescopes like those at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. It is possibly the core of a dwarf galaxy that has been swallowed up by the Milky Way. This cluster is unusual in that it has far fewer stars than most globular clusters.3 Kim 2 is more enriched in metals than most other outer globular clusters, suggesting that it formed later.4

The cluster is 105 kpc away from Earth. The half light radius is 12.8 pc. The metallicity [Fe/H] is about −1.0.1

References

References

  1. Dongwon Kim; Helmut Jerjen; Antonino P. Milone; Dougal Mackey; Gary S. Da Costa (13 February 2015). "Discovery of a Faint Outer Halo Milky Way Star Cluster in the Southern Sky". The Astrophysical Journal. 803 (2): 63. arXiv:1502.03952. Bibcode:2015ApJ...803...63K. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/803/2/63. S2CID 119229454.
  2. "NAME Indus I". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  3. Michaud, Peter (3 March 2015). "FAR FROM HOME: WAYWARD CLUSTER IS BOTH TINY AND DISTANT". Geminii Observatory. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  4. Gary, Stuart (26 May 2015). "Cannibal crime scene discovered in space". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 June 2015.