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M11 · Wild Duck Cluster

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Wild Duck Cluster
Credit Achituv · CC BY-SA 4.0
Chinese name野鸭星团
TypeOpen cluster
ConstellationSct
RA18h51m
Dec−06°
Apparent magnitude5.8ᵐ
HemisphereBoth hemispheres
Best seasonSummer
DifficultyEasy
Focal length中焦 500–1000mm

About

About 6,200 light-years away in a dense part of the Scutum Milky Way, the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) is one of the richest and most compact open clusters known, with nearly 3,000 stars. Its bright members form a V-shape resembling a flight of ducks. Against a star-strewn Milky Way background, mid-focal imaging shows rich layering of cluster and dust, a photogenic summer open cluster.