Messier 11 (M 11) - Wild Duck Cluster
Introduction | Map | Find/Identify | Sketch | My
Best Own Photos | My
Own
Observations | References || Appendix:
My
Own Photos
On this page I collect my observations of the open star cluster M
11, called Wild Duck Cluster, in
the constellation Scutum/Shield.
Introduction
The open star cluster M 11, called Wild Duck Cluster,
is located in the constellation Scutum/Shield and, according to Stoyan, is
regarded as the most beautiful of its kind that is visible from central Europe.
M 11 is located in the Scutum cloud, a special section of the Milky Way.
Size: 7' (Stoyan)
Distance: 6,000 light years (Stoyan)
Rating: **** (Stoyan)
Map
M 11 (top) belongs to the constellation Scutum/Shield. All other objects
belong to the Sagittarius constellation (M 8, M 16, M 17, M 20, M
21, M 23, M 24). (Image Courtesy
of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)
Find/Identify
Find: M 11 is located at the "tail end" of the constellation
Aquila and close to the constellation Scutum. I see there a
chain of stars, which comes down diagonally and ends horizontally to the
right (at beta Scutum). Below you will find the star cluster
M 11, which you can quickly recognize by its glow. To its right there
is a small trapeze (see Identify). (Image Courtesy
of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)
Here is another closer map (Image Courtesy
of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com):
Identify: M 11 in the constellation Scutum/Shield is
located close to an irregular trapezium, which I can see well in binoculars
(and depending on the telescope, it is on the left or right side of M 11),
but cannot find on many star maps and in many astronomy programs, because
it is quite small. This trapezium helps me to find the star cluster and also
to identify it as M 11!
(Image created with Stellarium)
Sketch
The sketch by Michael Vlasov (DeepSkyWatch.com)
provides an impression of what I failed to observe in Summer/Autumn 2016: Sketch
of the M 11 star cluster by Michael Vlasov (Copyright © Michael Vlasov
2016)
Note: I only have the author's permission to link to the sketch.
My Best Own Photos
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M 11 - Jun 11, 2020 |
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M 11 - Jun 11, 2020, photo left processed |
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M 11 - Jun 11, 2020, photo left processed and sharpened |
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M 11 - 23.8.2020 |
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M 11 - 23.8.2020, Foto links bearbeitet |
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M 11 - 23.8.2020, Foto links bearbeitet und geschärft |
My Own Observations
Observations Summer to Autumn 2016
- September 7, 2016 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Skymax-102 on GoTo mount):
Observed M 11 and saw stars and some nebula around them...
- September 9, 2016 (ditto, Heritage
P130 on GoTo mount):
Ditto
Observations October/November 2017
Observations September/October 2018 (France)
- September 27, 2018 (Sumène, France: PS
72/432, AZ
Pronto Mount, LT and TS binoculars): M
11 (Wild Duck Cluster) discovered by Astrid with the
bino, seen with both LT and TS binoculars, and with the PS72 as well: with
24mm only a glow, with 4 mm many stars - a two-fold glow with a few
stars inside...
- September 28, 2018 (ditto: PS
72/432, AZ
Pronto Mount, LT and TS binoculars): M
11 found again
- October 4, 2018 (ditto: PS
72/432, AZ
Pronto Mount): M
11 with 24 mm just a glow, with 7
mm and 4 mm resolved into stars
Observations October-December 2018 (Mühlhausen)
- October 12, 2018 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: PS
72/432, AZ
Pronto Mount):
Nebula glow, divided in two parts at higher magnifications
(see also Stoyan's image!), close to an oblique trapezium (Scutum,
on top of Sagittarius) > obviously M
11
- October 14, 2018 (ditto: PS
72/432, AZ
Pronto Mount): M
11 observed (found using the trapezium)
- November 1, 2018 (ditto: Skymax-127, TS
binoculars): M 11 observed at 24 mm (more or less
a nebula), 16 mm and 10 mm (here stars were visible, no longer a nebula);
also observed with TS binoculars (found via the end of Aquila, verified with "trapezium" close
to M 11; like a nebula with two close stars nearby)
- November 11, 2018 (ditto: Skymax-127, TS
and LT binoculars): M 11 observed with
24 mm eyepiece (SM127), but also larger; up to 100 x with 100P; with 24
mm nice glow; at higher magnifications less glow, more resolved into stars;
also seen with TS binoculars; with LT binoculars just, later no more...
- November 12-13, 11.2018
(ditto: Heritage
100P, TS binoculars): M
11 observed again
Observations August/September 2019 (Mühlhausen)
- August 30, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: Explorer
150PDS on GoTo mount):
M 11 beautiful in various magnifications, from very small to about
100 x (7mm = 107x), and even higher (4mm = 187,5 x); at low magnification
rather "like a nebula",
at larger ones (100 - 200 x) many fine small stars and no nebula
look anymore. "Wild duck" character not recognizable...
- September 3, 2019 (Explorer
150PDS on GoTo mount, Skymax-127 on AZ
Pronto Mount): M 11 observed and compared in
Explorer 150PDS and Skymax-127 at a magnification of 100 x, Explorer
even more;
Explorer 150PDS performed a little bit better, but Skymax-127 was also
good.
- September 6, 2019 (StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount, PS 72/432 on photo tripod):
Observed M 11 in both telescopes, with the ST120 up to a magnification
of 150 x, and saw fine stars, but perhaps not as many as some days before
(due to the moon).
Observations September/October 2019 (France)
- September 17, 2019 (Sumène, France: LT
and TS binoculars): M
11 (Wild Duck Cluster) seen with nearby "trapezium".
- September 18, 2019 (Sumène, France: StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount): M 11 (24, 10, 4 mm) showed fine stars at 60
x and more.
- September 19, 2019 (Sumène, France: PS
72/432 on AZ
Pronto Mount): M 11 (24, 7, 4 mm) again seen very beautifully
- September 20, 2019 (Sumène, France: StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount): M 11 found by chance...
- September 28, 2019 (Sumène, France: StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount): M 11 (24, 10, 7, 4 mm): Very nicely seen at all
magnifications.
- September 30, 2019 (Sumène, France: StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount): M 11 (24, 10, 7, 4 mm) very nice as always
Observations October 2019 (Mühlhausen)
- October 13, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount, PS 72/432 on photo tripod):
Comparison of ST120 and PS72
- M 11 with PS72 (7 mm eyepiece, appr. 62 x; Amici prism): Nebula-like
shimmer faint and diffuse, small stars hardly to recognize (yes, but
only with difficulty)
M 11 with ST120: 3 small stars were seen easily, nebula-like
shimmer was more distinct; according to Astrid, clear winner...
- October 14,2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: StarTravel
120/600 on GoTo mount, PS
72/432 and Skymax-127 on AZ
Pronto Mount):
Comparison of ST120, PS72, and Skymax-127
- In the first test using M 11 (ST120 with 10 mm-Delos eyepiece
(60 x) and 2"-to-1,25" Amici prism versus SM-127 with
24 mm eyepiece and 1,25" Amici prism), the ST120 was
superior to the SM-127, the nebula was better visible, but
also the sky background brighter. Opinions between Astrid and me
diverged regarding the recognizability of the stars in M 11 (about
3...): Astrid found them better in the ST120, I rather in the SM127
(because of the darker background).
- In the second test using M 11 (ST120 ditto, PS72 with 7 mm UWA
eyepiece and 2" zenith mirror), the ST120 was even more
superior to the PS72. The nebula was much better to see, but
also the sky background was brighter. This time, the fine stars were
better visible in the PS72 than the day before.
- In the third test on M 11 (both
telescopes with zenith mirror (2" and 1,25")), the SM-127 was
clearly superior to the PS72. The nebula was better to recognize,
as were the fine stars.
- October 16, 2019 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: StarTravel
120/600 on AZ
Pronto Mount, Explorer
150PDS on GoTo mount):
Comparison of ST120 and Explorer 150PDS
- I compared
the telescopes at a magnification of about 60 x: On the ST120 with
10 mm (60 x), on the Exp150 with 16 mm (47 x) and 24 mm/2x FE (62.5
x). With the latter, the picture appeared clearly larger than in
the ST120, with the former probably clearly smaller...
Altogether, I did many tests under varying conditions (at the end, with higher
magnification). A decision was difficult for me, sometimes one telescope seemed
better, sometimes the other... Astrid voted more clearly in favour of the Exp150.
At the end of the day, this is to be expected from the larger aperture...
- October 31, 2019 (Erkerode: Skymax-127
on AZ
Pronto Mount, LT
binoculars ):
M 11 (32, 24, 16, 10 mm) at low magnification nebula-like, two
distinct stars; at high magnification large, fine stars; Astrid observed
M 11 also with the LT binoculars.
Observations May to September 2020
- May 29, 2020 (Erkerode: eVscope): M
11 photographed in the new rectangular format without overlay
- May 31, 2020 (Erkerode: eVscope): M
11 photographed, poor conditions (n.o., r.f.)
- June 11, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.)
- July 9, 2020 (Ulm: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.)
- July 23, 2020 (Erkerode: TS
binoculars): M 11 observed, identified
using trapezium of stars; like a nebula in binoculars
- July 24, 2020 (Erkerode: TS
binoculars): M 11 observed: Briefly saw it as a glow in
binoculars, then clouds came and covered the sky...
- August 6, 2020 (Erkerode: TS
and LT binoculars): M
11 observed
- August 7, 2020 (Erkerode: Skymax-127 on AZ
Pronto Mount, TS
and LT binoculars): M
11 observed
- August 8, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.)
- August 22, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.), fuzzy (not shown)
- August 23, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.)
- September 7, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.), disturbed
- September 30, 2020 (Mühlhausen/Kraichgau: eVscope): M
11 photographed (n.o., r.f.), slightly disturbed
References
On this Site
Appendix: My Own Photos
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M 11 - May 29, 2020 |
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M 11 - May 29, 2020 |
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M 11 - May 31, 2020, poor conditions |
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M 11 - May 29, 2020, photo on top processed |
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M 11 - May 29, 2020, photo on top processed |
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M 11 - May 31, 2020, photo on top processed |
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M 11 - Jun 11, 2020 |
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M 11 - Jun 11, 2020, photo left processed |
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M 11 - Jun 11, 2020, photo left processed and sharpened |
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M 11 - Jul 9, 2020 |
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M 11 - Aug 8, 2020 |
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M 11 - Sep 7, 2020, disturbed |
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M 11 - Jul 9, 2020, photo on top processed |
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M 11 - Aug 8, 2020, photo on top processed |
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M 11 - Sep 7, 2020, photo on top processed |
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M 11 - Aug 23, 2020 |
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M 11 - Aug 23, 2020, photo left processed |
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M 11 - Aug 23, 2020, photo left processed and sharpened |
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M 11 - Sep 30, 2020, slightly disturbed |
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M 11 - Sep 30, 2020, photo left processed |
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M 11 - Sep 30, 2020, photo left processed and sharpened |
