NGC 6649
Scientific overview
NGC 6649 is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.9 and spans about 5.58 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 6649
| Distance | 7,006 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 11.371571 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | -7.907 ± 0.521 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 278.359167 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -10.398889 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2021MNRAS.503.3279S · catalogued value · source value 2.148 kpc · 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
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2023A&A...674A..37G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2021A&A...647A..19T · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2021A&A...647A..19T · 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 Scutum
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amas de l'Ecu de SobieskiM 11 · NGC 6705 | Open cluster | 5.8 | 9 |
| IC 1287 | Reflection nebula | 6.1 | 20 |
| NGC 6664NGC 6664 | Open cluster | 7.8 | 6 |
| NGC 6712NGC 6712 | Globular cluster | 8.69 | 5.7 |
| M 26M 26 · NGC 6694 | Open cluster | 8.87 | 6 |
| NGC 6625NGC 6625 | Open cluster | 9 | 6 |
| NGC 6704NGC 6704 | Open cluster | 9.2 | 3.3 |
| NGC 6683NGC 6683 | Open cluster | 9.4 | 3 |
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.