M6 Butterfly Cluster

The M6 Cluster, also known as the Butterfly Cluster, is a bright open cluster located in the southern constellation Scorpius, about 1,600 light-years from Earth. It was named for the arrangement of its stars, which resembles a butterfly in flight. Formed around 100 million years ago, the cluster is estimated to be between 94 and 100 million years old and is composed mainly of young, hot blue B-type stars. Its brightest member, however, is BM Scorpii, an orange giant and semi-regular variable star whose brightness varies between apparent magnitudes +5.5 and +7.0.

M6 has an overall apparent magnitude of about 4.2, an angular diameter of roughly 25 arcminutes, and a true span of around 12 light-years. It contains at least 120 to 300 member stars. The earliest recorded observation dates back to the 17th century, with many subsequent studies by astronomers. Due to its loosely scattered stars, the Butterfly Cluster is particularly striking when viewed through binoculars.

ASA 500N
FLI Proline 16803
ASA DDM85
Astrodon 50mm RGBHa
M6: Rx12, Gx11, Bx12,180s; Hax7, 1800s
Total integration time: 5h15m
Location: Chile