NGC 6791 · open cluster

NGC 6791

NGC 6791 is an open star cluster in the Lyra constellation.

RA19h 20m 53sDec+37° 46' 18"

Image: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: NGC 6791
All designations: NGC 6791
Object type: Open Cluster
Constellation: Lyra
Best viewing: Summer

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 19h 20m 53s
Declination (J2000): +37° 46' 18"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —

III

Visibility tonight

The science

NGC 6791 is an open star cluster in the Lyra constellation. It was discovered by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke in 1853. At roughly 8 billion years old, and with an iron to hydrogen abundance ratio that is more than twice that of the Sun, it is one of the oldest and most metal-rich clusters in the Milky Way. This is contrary to the typical rule-of-thumb where older means more metal-poor. Compounded with the fact that it has an unusually high population of stars, NGC 6791 is among the most studied clusters in the sky.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0