Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Scutum (Sct)  ·  Contains:  Amas de l'Ecu de Sobieski  ·  M 11  ·  NGC 6704  ·  NGC 6705  ·  Wild Duck Cluster
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M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud, George Simon
M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud
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M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud, George Simon
M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud
Powered byPixInsight

M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud

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Description

The Scutum Star Cloud, which lies about 10,000 light years from the Solar System, is part of the Scutum-Centaurus Arm of our galaxy. Embedded within the cloud are numerous open clusters and dark nebulae. NGC 6704, the small open cluster on the left side of this image, lies within the Scutum-Centaurus Arm. So, too, do the dark nebulae which run up the center of the image and then curl to the upper left. From bottom to top, these nebulae are designated as LDN 521, LDN 522 and LDN 523 in Lynd's Catalogue of Dark Nebula. The large, bright open cluster on the right side of the image is M11, the Wild Duck Cluster. This cluster lies in front of the Scutum Star Cloud, at a distance of 6,200 light years from the Solar System. Both NGC 6704 and M11 are young open clusters, but while M11 is "only" about 220 million years old, NGC 6704 is a comparative infant at about 70 to 75 million years old.

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M11 and the Scutum Star Cloud, George Simon

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