NGC 6605
Scientific overview
NGC 6605 is an open cluster in the constellation Serpens. It shines at apparent magnitude 6 and spans about 6.3 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · NGC 6605
| Distance | 3,731 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 6.837834 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 274.248217 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -15.011105 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2018MNRAS.473..849D · catalogued value · source value 1144 pc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 1988NASAR1190....1B · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 1988NASAR1190....1B · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Serpens
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC 4756 | Open cluster | 4.6 | 24 |
| M 5M 5 · NGC 5904 | Globular cluster | 5.95 | 15 |
| Eagle Nebula | Nebula | 6 | 5.05 |
| Eagle NebulaM 16 · NGC 6611 | Nebula | 6 | 120 |
| NGC 6604NGC 6604 | Open cluster | 6.5 | 9.6 |
| NGC 6535NGC 6535 | Globular cluster | 9.85 | 3.6 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.