Cr316
Open Cluster in Scorpius
About
A large, bright open cluster in southern Scorpius, listed by SIMBAD at visual magnitude 3.4. An observing page names it as one of the star groups in the False Comet asterism, with NGC 6231, an open cluster, marking its head.
Imaging tips
- At 470–780 mm on APS-C (710–1,190 mm on full frame) the roughly 52′ cluster fits the frame with room around it.
- Broadband is the right choice for an open cluster; the stars are the subject.
- Very low in the south: it peaks at about −1° from 50°N, so it never clears the horizon there. Best in May and June.
Facts
- Size
- 52′
- Magnitude
- 3.0
- Coordinates
- RA 16h 55.5m, Dec −40° 50′
- Framing, APS-C
- 470–780 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 710–1190 mm
- Best months
- May, Jun
- Peak altitude
- never rises from 50°N, 14° from 35°N