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Credit & Copyright: Marco Lorenzi
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,
pictured above, can best be seen in a dark sky with binoculars
towards the constellation of the Scorpion (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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Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day