Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly (Fernando Oliveira de Menezes)

Celestial hemisphere: Southern · Constellation: Scorpius (Sco) · Contains: Butterfly Cluster · M 6 · NGC 6405 · NGC 6416

Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly, Fernando Oliveira de Menezes

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Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

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Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

Nicknamed the butterfly cluster for its resemblance to a butterfly, it is located in the constellation of the scorpion, approximately 1,600 light-years away.

Messier 6 is best seen in binoculars, it is about the size of a full moon. The cluster contains more than 300 stars, with binoculars it reveals only a few dozen and a small telescope will show around 80 stars brighter than magnitude 11.

Its first reports are a mystery, it is believed that its first record was by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy while observing neighboring Messier 7 (Ptolemy's cluster) in the 2nd century CE, which is just five degrees southeast of M6. In describing the nearby cluster M7, Ptolemy noted 'Girus ille nebulosis' meaning '2 small clouds'.

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The “AstroBin Image of the Day and Top Picks”, or IOTD/TP, is a long-running system to promote beautiful, interesting, peculiar, or otherwise amazing astrophotographs, with a focus on technical excellence. Learn more.

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Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

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Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

Messier 6: The sidereal butterfly

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