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NGC 6885

Open Cluster Good (54/100)
NGC 6885 OpenCluster Vul Visible Level 1 Naked eye / Binoculars - Wide field preferred
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Properties

Magnitude 6.0
Angular Size 7 arcmin
Cl, vB, vL, Ri, lC, st 6...11

Position & Identifiers

RA 20h 11m 60.0s
Dec +26° 28' 60.0"
Constellation Vul
Catalog NGC 6885

Visibility

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Eyepiece View

108x TFOV: 0.5° Lim. mag: 13.3
N E

NGC 6885 · 7.0′ diameter · N up, E left

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About NGC 6885

Description

NGC 6885 is an open cluster in Vulpecula, about 1,950 light-years away. It is a compact group of about 30 stars surrounding the bright star 20 Vulpeculae, spanning about 7 arcminutes.

Observing Tips

Easy to locate near 20 Vulpeculae. A small telescope at low power shows the cluster nicely. It overlaps with the larger, sparser cluster NGC 6882. Best observed in summer and early autumn evenings.

History

Discovered by William Herschel on September 8, 1784. The relationship between NGC 6882 and NGC 6885 has been debated, with some considering them one cluster and others treating them as separate overlapping groups.

Fun Facts

The bright star 20 Vulpeculae at the cluster's center is a blue-white giant visible to the naked eye at magnitude 5.9, making the cluster easy to find.