NGC 6664
Scientific overview
NGC 6664 is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It shines at apparent magnitude 7.8 and spans about 6 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 6664
| Distance | 6,187 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 10.798678 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 19.34 ± 0.21 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 279.125 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -8.193889 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2019MNRAS.486.5726D · distance indicator: paral · catalogued value · source value 1897 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
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2020A&A...644A.136A · 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 6712NGC 6712 | Globular cluster | 8.69 | 5.7 |
| M 26M 26 · NGC 6694 | Open cluster | 8.87 | 6 |
| NGC 6649NGC 6649 | Open cluster | 8.9 | 5.58 |
| 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.