NGC 6530 (Cl)
Open Cluster in Sagittarius
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18h 04m 31.8s | -24° 21′ 28.4″ | 14.0′ | 4.6 | 10.1 | -- | Cl | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′
Background
NGC 6530 is a young open cluster ( 2 Myr) embedded within the Lagoon Nebula (M8), 4,500 light-years away in Sagittarius. The hot O- and B-type stars in the cluster ionise the surrounding gas and drive the photo-evaporation pillars seen in HST imagery.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Sits embedded within M8 (Lagoon Nebula) — best appreciated in the same wide-field view as the surrounding nebulosity. The bright cluster cleanly contrasts the gas and dust backdrop.(Saturday, June 2025)
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)