Deep space
Wild Duck Cluster
Open cluster · M11 · NGC 6705
Open cluster in Scutum
Photo: ESO · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The Wild Duck Cluster is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1681. Charles Messier included it in his catalogue of diffuse objects in 1764. Its popular name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could resemble a flying flock of ducks. The cluster is located just to the east of the Scutum Star Cloud midpoint.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~6,200 light-years
Apparent mag.
+5.8
Apparent size
22.8′
Best seen with
Naked eye (dark sky)
Catalogue
M11 · NGC 6705
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 11 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 6705.
- Found in the constellation Scutum.
- Visible to the naked eye from a dark, moonless site.
