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Unlike all the other globular clusters in Messier's catalog,
M54 is not part of the Milky Way.
M54 is a member of the "Sagittarius Dwarf" galaxy (SagDEG),
our nearest galactic neighbor.
M54 is about 90,000 light years away.
It is easily visible in binoculars as a bright fuzzy star inside the Teapot.
M54 is a very compact globular and remains fuzzy and unresolved in most telescopes.
Only its great distance makes this cluster appear plain.
It is intrinsically brighter than all globular clusters in the Milky Way,
with the exception of Omega Centauri.
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