Menu

NGC 6178 — Open Cluster in Scorpius

Open Cluster Good (45/100)
Magnitude 7.2m OpenCluster Scorpius (Sco) Visible
Star Map
+ List + Plan Star Hop

Observe

1Properties

Magnitude 7.2
Angular Size 6.9′
Cl, B, S, st pL

Position & Identifiers

RA 16h 35m 47.3s
Dec -45° 38' 37.3"
Constellation Scorpius (Sco)
Catalog NGC 6178

2How easy to spot?

Sign in and configure your equipment and default location to see a personalized row.
Telescope Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
80mm refr. Easy Easy Easy
150mm Newt. Easy Easy Easy
C8 203mm Easy Easy Easy
Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

Easy on Seestar S50

3Visibility

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Apr – Jun (peak: May)

4 Eyepiece View

Log in to set your own equipment
125x TFOV: 0.4° Lim. mag: 13.6
N E

NGC 6178 · 6.9′ diameter

5 Best Magnification

Explore

6 Classification Decoder

Nearby in the Sky

Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.

Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.

NGC 6169
Easy
Open cluster
Open Cluster mag 7.0 1.6° Norma
NGC 6204
Easy
Open cluster
Open Cluster mag 8.2 2.3° Ara
NGC 6200
Easy
Open cluster
Open Cluster mag 7.4 2.3° Ara
Epsilon Nor
Easy
Easy double, sep 22.9″
Double Star mag 4.47 2.4° Norma
NGC 6192
Easy
Open cluster
Open Cluster mag 9.0 2.4° Scorpius
NGC 6164
Easy
Planetary nebula — try an OIII filter
Planetary Nebula mag 6.71 2.5° Norma
V861 Sco
Medium
Eclipsing binary, period 7.8d
Variable Star mag 6.15 6.1° Scorpius
Show on Map

Explore Nightbase

Related knowledge, tools, and stories — no observation planning required.

Scorpius
Mythology, bright stars, and deep-sky highlights.
Constellation
The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
The HR diagram turns the night sky into a physics map: every named star has a spot, every spot tells you mass, age, and fate. A guide for amateur observers.
Article
Mars
Polar caps, dust storms, and observing its oppositions.
Deep dive
}