NGC 6541 (GC)

Globular Cluster in CoronaAustralis
R.A.Dec.SizeMag SBCnt.StTypeDistanceChart
18h 08m 03.4s-43° 42′ 47.5″15.0′7.312.9IIIGC----
NGC 6541 DSS plate
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′

Background

NGC 6541 is a bright globular cluster  22,500 light-years away in Corona Australis. Magnitude 6.3 and  13' across — well placed for southern-hemisphere observers and easy naked-eye in clear conditions.

My Observing Notes

25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Find via Corona Australis' signature curve of stars; draw a line from θ and η Sco, which points towards NGC 6541. Easy fuzzy smudge in the viewfinder. The bright core and surrounding halo of stars won't fully resolve at this aperture.(Saturday, June 2025)

References

Charts

NGC 6541 ultra-wide chart
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
NGC 6541 wide-field chart
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
NGC 6541 finderscope view
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
NGC 6541 eyepiece view
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)