Messier Index/M11

300px The Wild Duck Cluster (M11-NGC 6705) Wild Duck Cluster J2000.0 I,2,r Scutum 18h 51.1m −06° 16′ 6,200 ly 1,900 pc 6.3 14.0′ 220 million years Messier 11, NGC 6705 The Wild Duck Cluster (also known as Messier 11, or NGC 6705) is an w:open cluster in the w:constellation w:Scutum. It was discovered by w:Gottfried Kirch in 1681. w:Charles Messier included it in his catalogue in 1764. The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters, containing about 2900 w:stars. Its age has been estimated to about 220 million years. Its name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could represent a flying flock of w:ducks. External links Messier 11 Wild Duck Cluster Messier 11, SEDS Messier pages Messier 11 - LRGB result based on 2 hrs total data