NGC 6087 (OC)
Open Cluster in Norma
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16h 18m 52.2s | -57° 56′ 03.0″ | 15.0′ | 5.4 | 11.0 | I2p | OC | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′
Background
NGC 6087 is one of Norma's showpieces: a 5th magnitude open cluster just visible to the unaided eye despite being more than 3,000 light-years distant. James Dunlop discovered it in 1826. About 40 stars are visible across a quarter of a degree, the brightest being the Cepheid variable S Normae, which varies from magnitude 6.1 to 6.8 over a 10-day cycle. Hipparcos data in the 1990s conclusively confirmed S Normae as a true cluster member, settling decades of debate about whether it was a fortuitous foreground star.
My Observing Notes
(Not yet observed — on the Norma list from the May 2026 Universe Sky Tonight column.)
References
Charts
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)