NGC 6664 is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It’s best viewed in late summer and early autumn.
William Herschel discovered on June 16, 1784. This 7th magnitude cluster is almost 4000 light years away from us. While fairly dim under suburban skies, you can enjoy it with most telescopes.
My Observations
September 6, 2020 | 9:24 p.m.
Seattle, Washington, USA
Meade LX65 8″ ACF, 20mm eyepiece
This cluster is sadly faint tonight. Light pollution is washing most of it out as it’s lower in the sky from my vantage point. The main bright stars roughly make an “M” pattern.
Key Stats
| When to view | Late Summer | R.A. (2021) | 18h 37m 44s |
| Constellation | Scutum | Dec (2021) | -7 46′ 55.1” |
| Visual Magnitude | +7.80 | Distance | 3,800 ly |
| Absolute Magnitude | -2.53 | Age | ? |
| Apparent Size | 12 arcmin | Milky Way Locations | Sagittarius Arm |
| Diameter | 13 ly | My Viewing Grade | C |
Sources
- Photo of NGC 6664 by Roberto Mura and is is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
The Garden Astronomer 