The Wild Duck Cluster Messier 11 (M11 or NGC6705)
Taken by Tom Wildoner on July 31, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2026:10:17 07:00:17
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Details:
Messier 11, popularly known as the Wild Duck Cluster (NGC 6705), is one of the richest and most compact open clusters known in the night sky. Located roughly 6,000 light-years away in the small constellation Scutum near the bright Scutum Star Cloud, it contains a dense population of nearly 3,000 stars packed into a region spanning only about 20 to 25 light-years. Formed approximately 220 to 250 million years ago, the cluster earned its avian nickname because its brightest stars form a distinctive triangular or V-shape that visually resembles a flock of ducks in flight. Unlike fragile open clusters that quickly disperse, M11's high density and mass have allowed it to remain tightly bound, appearing through binoculars as a hazy, fan-shaped patch of light and resolving through telescopes into a breathtaking swarm of stellar points.
🔠Technical Details:
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Bin1
Mount: Celestron CGX-L pier mounted
Capture: 60 x 60 seconds.
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: PixInsight and DSS
Image Date: July 13, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
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