APOD: M6: The Butterfly Cluster (2011 Sep 06)

[APOD Robot]

M6: The Butterfly Cluster

Explanation: To some, the outline of the open cluster of stars M6 resembles a butterfly. M6, also known as NGC 6405, spans about 20 light-years and lies about 2,000 light years distant. M6 can best be seen in a dark sky with binoculars towards the constellation of Scorpius, coving about as much of the sky as the full moon. Like other open clusters, M6 is composed predominantly of young blue stars, although the brightest star is nearly orange. M6 is estimated to be about 100 million years old. Determining the distance to clusters like M6 helps astronomers calibrate the distance scale of the universe.

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[Ross Busher]

Nice picture. A butterfly? To my "astrosense" the constellation looks more like a Renaissance horse and jouster with the end of the lance the bright gold star.

[mexhunter]

Sergio excellent image, Congratulations!!!
Greetings
César

[Ann]

I commented on this image when it was posted here at Starship Asterisk* in a Recent Submissions thread. I'll paste my comment here:

Sergio Eguivar, your portrait of M6 is fantastically clear and beautiful. Note in the large version how stars tend up to line up in "chains". Note how, between the "head" and the "body" of the butterfly shape of M6, there are two lines of circa tenth magnitude stars, which together form the shape of a "V". How lovely!

The image is just wonderfully resolved, and the colors are splendid!

Ann

[neufer]

M6: The Butterfly Cluster

Woolly Mammoth 6.

[orin stepanek]

It doesn't remind me of a butterfly; but it is beautiful. I saved it to my collection of backgrounds.

[Randar]

If there should be a planet (or planets) around any one of the stars in such a cluster, would those planets tend to be hotter because of the relatively close proximity of the other stars?

[neufer]

If there should be a planet (or planets) around any one of the stars in such a cluster, would those planets tend to be hotter because of the relatively close proximity of the other stars?

It would be like having the M6 cluster about a thousand times nearer and a million times brighter.

At magnitude 4.2 the new magnitude of the M6 cluster surrounding you would be about -11 ... or about equivalent to a quarter moon.

You could read by M6 at night but you wouldn't really feel much warmer.

[NoelC]

This is hands-down THE most beautiful Butterfly Cluster shot I've seen. Nice work!

For those of you having trouble visualizing a butterfly, keep in mind these kinds of clusters were named FAR before such deep astroimages were common. Imagine just the brightest stars visible in a telescope, making an outline of a butterfly. Hey, it looks as much like a butterfly as, say, Taurus looks like a bull!

M6 - Butterfly Cluster, Less Deeply Exposed, Click to See One Possible Interpretation

-Noel

[Sergio]

Thanks Ross, César, Ann, Neufer, Orin, Randar and NoelC for passing by and your nice comments

This is in fact my first APOD and you can imagine how happy I am.
As I told to Robert and Jerry after finishing the processing of M6 I went to APOD database to benchmark similar images and look for info. It called my attention that there was only one picture of this nice cluster.... So I figured it was a nice opportunity to share the image with the community

This is a great object for any type of scopes and binoculars and it can be seen from any location.

Was also cool to know that clusters of this type are used to calibrate the distance scale of the universe

Best wishes to all and thanks again !!
Sergio

[islader2]

Bienvenido==Sergio; bienvenido. Great picture of M6. Looking forward to your next picture. Thanx.

[Tszabeau]

Champagne bubbles.

[saturn2]

M6 is open cluster of stars.
Distance from Earth to M6 2,000 light-years.
It more important for calibrate distance scale of the universe.
Cefeidas stars help astronomers for calibrate distance of the universe, too.

[Troy]

Well, it loos like butterfly, but also like flowers, isn't it?

[Beyond]

Hey, it looks as much like a butterfly as, say, Taurus looks like a bull!

A bullterfly. Now that's something I'd like to see

[Guest]

I'm posting here because I don't know where to email this...

"coving about as much"

shouldn't that be 'covering about as much'?

I hate to see such beautiful imagery with such minor slips.

Thank you for sharing, I've pulled it down to put in the directory of astro images that rotate as my desktop.

[neufer]

I'm posting here because I don't know where to email this...

"coving about as much"

shouldn't that be 'covering about as much'?

I hate to see such beautiful imagery with such minor slips.

Thank you for sharing, I've pulled it down to put in the directory of astro images that rotate as my desktop.

Cove, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coved; p. pr. & vb. n. Coving.] (Arch.)
To arch over; to build in a hollow concave form; to make in the form of a cove.

Cove, v. t. [CF. F. couver, It. covare.] To brood, cover, over, or sit over, as birds their eggs. [Obs.]
Not being able to cove them [eggs], she [the female tortoise] bestoweth them in the gravel. Holland.