Caldwell 86
Star cluster in Ara · 7,900 light-years
🔭 Explore Caldwell 86 in the 3D map →View Caldwell 86 images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ara |
| Right ascension | 17h 40m 41s |
| Declination | −53° 40′ |
| Object distance | 7,900 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 5.2 |
| Apparent size | 15.3′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 35.2 light-years across |
| Also known as | C86 · NGC 6397 |
Caldwell 86 is a star cluster (NGC 6397) in Ara — a family of stars bound by gravity. It appears as number 86 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 15.3 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 5.2, it can be glimpsed with the unaided eye under dark skies.
Although it appears about 15.3′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 35.2 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Caldwell 86
Caldwell 86 lies in the constellation Ara and is best placed in the evening sky around June. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the southern hemisphere, and sits low for those far north. At its brightness it can be found with the unaided eye under a dark sky and is easy in binoculars.
See Caldwell 86 in Universe Finder
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Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Pleiades — star cluster
- Hercules Cluster — star cluster
- Small Sgr Star Cloud — star cluster
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster