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Messier 11 |
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 | The Wild Duck cluster, M11 is one of the richest and most compact open clusters, with nearly 3000 stars packed into only twenty-odd light-years. M11, is one of the most interesting stellar assemblages in the sky. An imaginative observer can readily see its distinctive V shape, which Admiral Smyth likened to a flight of wild ducks. The richness of this dense open cluster increases with telescope size. Immediately to the north is a large area of dark nebulae that has been easily seen with a 12-inch telescope.
This cluster is easy to find in binoculars by swinging off the tail of Aquila. It appears as a fairly bright nebulous patch. The one bright star in the cluster can be resolved near the middle of the patch. In a 8-inch telescope at 50X, this cluster is about 11' in diameter and quite compact. There is one 7th mag. star inbeded in the center and a close pair of 8th mag stars on the southern edge. M11 has a dark region, almost like a bay, on the western edge that penetrates well into the interior. This void of stars gives the cluster a boom-a-rang or "Ducks in Flight" appearence. There is a well defined boundary all around except for the "void" area. Just to the north of the central 7 mag. star, there is a dark line (another lesser void) that runs almost E-W. penetrating in from the western side. It almost extends through the cluster. This void is perhaps only 0.5' in dia. At higher magnifications M 11 comes alive like a pile of diamonds in the sky. A wonderful sight. |
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Wild Duck Cluster M11 NGC 6705 Other description: Open cluster dense. Constellation: Scutum Dreyer description: Remarkable!, cluster, very bright, large, irregularly round, rich in stars, 9th magnitude star, stars of magnitude 11 and fainter; = M11. Magnitude: 5.8 RA: 18h 51m 20.2s Dec: -06°15'52" RA: 18h 51m 06.0s Dec: -06°16'00" (Epoch 2000) Azm: 159°08'36" Alt: +35°19'15" Rise: 20:02 Transit: 01:42 Set: 07:18 Size:14.0' |