NGC 6530
OPEN STAR CLUSTER
Right Ascension:
18h 04m 48s
Best Seen:
8/1-10/1
Declination:
-24º 20' 00"
Magnitude:
4.6
Computer File:
ngc6530
Constellation:
Sagittarius
Actual
Compared to
Distance
5,200 l.y.
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Actual Brightness
--
--
Number of stars
50 - 100
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Diameter
20 l.y.
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Age
2 million years
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Integrated Spectral Type
--
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR THROUGH THE TELESCOPE:
-
Recommended eyepiece: 40mm or 80 mm.
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Through the telescope the cluster will appear as a group of individual stars.
NGC 6530 INFORMATION:
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This cluster was first discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654. It was independently found by John Flamsteed in 1680.
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This is a very young group of stars - only a few million years old.
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These stars formed from a portion of the Lagoon nebula. The cluster is just in front of the nebula.
Item
Updated
Notes
Coordinates
01-05-03
tweaked a bit
Magnitude
01-05-03
previously: 6.3 – BUT can find no info to support this, can only find 4.6 (on SEDs and other sites)
Distance
01-05-03
previously 5,150 ly – BUT rounded up with http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n6530.html
Actual Brightness
Number of Stars
01-05-03
previously 25 – BUT http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n6530.html says 50 - 100
Diameter
01-05-03
previously said 115 ly. – BUT for Lagoon Nebula, SEDs site gave 90x40 arcmin, corresponding to 140x60 ly if distance of 5,200 ly is correct. Using this conversion, and holding distance to be same for cluster, SEDs gives 14 arcmin for NGC 6530, which corresponds to 21 ly.
Age
01-05-03
OK with http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n6530.html
Integrated Spectral Type
Other Information
01-05-03
from http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n6530.html