Star Clusters
Messier 11 Wild Duck Cluster

This open cluster in the constellation Scutum the Shield is named so because it reminded some early observers of a triangle of flying ducks.

It is one of the most massive star clusters known in our galaxy, approaching a thousand members and with a total mass of over 10,000 times our sun. It is almost 200 lightyears across and around 6000 lightyears distant. It is also a young cluster at just over 300 million years of age.

This LRGB image is the result of 1h of data capture on an evening in August 2021, remotely imaged from Spain with an SBIG STL-6303 camera through a 12.5-inch Planewave CDK reflector.

Date: 18/08/2021

Photographer: Graham Wilcock

Messier 11 Wild Duck Cluster

This open cluster in the constellation Scutum the Shield is named so because it reminded some early observers of a triangle of flying ducks.

It is one of the most massive star clusters known in our galaxy, approaching a thousand members and with a total mass of over 10,000 times our sun. It is almost 200 lightyears across and around 6000 lightyears distant. It is also a young cluster at just over 300 million years of age.

This LRGB image is the result of 1h of data capture on an evening in August 2021, remotely imaged from Spain with an SBIG STL-6303 camera through a 12.5-inch Planewave CDK reflector.

Date: 18/08/2021

Photographer: Graham Wilcock