Open cluster · Aquila
NGC 6709 Flying Unicorn Cluster
mag 6.78.7′ across
About
NGC 6709, the Flying Unicorn Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 6.7 in Aquila, about 8.7′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 6709 is in the constellation Aquila.
- Best evenings: around mid-August it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 70° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small knot of stars, partly resolved.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Dozens of stars, many sharp and some coloured.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 6709 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 6.7The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 8.7′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Aquila |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 51m 18.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +10° 19′ 07″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →