M71 (NGC 6838)
Also known as M71 · M 71 · NGC 6838
M71 (NGC 6838) is a globular star cluster in the constellation Sagitta, about 13,050 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Globular star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagitta |
| Position (J2000) | 19h 53m 46s, +18° 46′ |
| Distance | 13,050 light-years (its light set off about 13,050 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 8.2 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 7.2′ × 7.2′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 1,201 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M71 (NGC 6838) is highest in the sky at midnight in July. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 89° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 59°. To see it you need binoculars.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Sagitta
Everything in Sagitta · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits