NGC 6259

OPEN CLUSTER IN  SCORPIUS 

 (Image Centred at ra 17h:00.7m / dec -44:40)

March 2014 - Home Backyard in Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Open Cluster

Apparent magnitude: 8.0

Apparent diameter: 14 arc minutes

Distance: 3300 light years (1031 pc)

IMAGE INFORMATION

SCOPE: 8" Orion Optics UK with Televue Paracorr

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS

FILTERS: Baader LRGB, 2" IDAS LPS for all channels

SKY CONDITIONS: urban skies

EXPOSURES: LRGB (60,30,30,30)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 6259 appears as a beautiful and rich cloud of stars merging in a dense sky background. It is located in the in the southern area of the constellation of Scorpius. The object presents a circular shape. Despite the total magnitude, it shows certain similarities with M11. Visible in the above image is the star distribution which is quite uniform. The cluster spans through 6.8 light years.

Scottish astronomer James Dunlop discovered NGC 6259 in May 13 of 1826, from Paramatta  New South Wales, and included it as Nº 456 in his catalogue of 1827. Using a 9 inch f12 telescope he described as a "very large patch of strong nebulae about 20' long and 16' broad, rich in small and extremely diminutive stars".