M11 · open cluster
Wild Duck Cluster
The Wild Duck Cluster is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Scutum.
RA18h 51m 05sDec−06° 16' 12"
Identity & coordinates
Identification
- Primary designation
- M11
- All designations
- M11 · NGC 6705 · Wild Duck Cluster
- Object type
- Open Cluster
- Constellation
- Scutum
- Best viewing
- Summer
Coordinates & physical
- Right ascension (J2000)
- 18h 51m 05s
- Declination (J2000)
- −06° 16' 12"
- Apparent magnitude (V)
- —
- Distance
- —
Visibility tonight
In your gallery
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July 22, 2025 · Backyard Observatory, Michigan
Wild Duck
An open cluster reads like a school of stars on the same page.
- Integration
- 24m
- Subs
- 144 × 10s
- Telescope
- Celestron Origin
- Camera
- Sony IMX178 (built-in)
- Bortle
- 6
- Moon
- Waning Gibbous, 78%
The science
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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0
References
- SIMBAD Not resolved
- NED Fetched May 8, 2026 View in NED ↗
- Wikipedia Fetched May 8, 2026 Read full article ↗
1 merge conflict resolved
- coordinates: SIMBAD missing → NED used