NGC 6802
Scientific overview
NGC 6802 is an open cluster in the constellation Vulpecula. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.8 and spans about 4.5 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 6802
| Distance | 8,969 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 11.740787 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 12.64 ± 0.556 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 292.650833 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 20.261944 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2021A&A...651A..84M · catalogued value · source value 2750 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 · 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 Vulpecula
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 6940NGC 6940 | Open cluster | 6.3 | 10.8 |
| NGC 6823NGC 6823 | Cluster with nebulosity | 7.1 | 6 |
| Dumbbell NebulaM 27 · NGC 6853 | Planetary nebula | 7.4 | 6.7 |
| NGC 6830NGC 6830 | Open cluster | 7.9 | 4.2 |
| NGC 6882C 37 · NGC 6882 | Open cluster | 14.1 | 7.5 |
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.