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Messier 11: Difference between revisions
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[[Messier 11]] is The Wild Duck Cluster (also known as Messier 11, or NGC 6705) is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1681. Charles Messier included it in his catalogue in 1764. The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters, containing about 2900 stars. Its age has been estimated to about 220 million years. Its name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could resemble a flying flock of ducks. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Duck_Cluster Messier 11]</ref> | [[Messier 11]] is The Wild Duck Cluster (also known as Messier 11, or NGC 6705) is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1681. Charles Messier included it in his catalogue in 1764. The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters, containing about 2900 stars. Its age has been estimated to about 220 million years. Its name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could resemble a flying flock of ducks. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Duck_Cluster Messier 11]</ref> | ||
==Etymology== | |||
Scutum is the Latin word for shield, although it has in modern times come to be specifically associated with the rectangular, semi-cylindrical body shield carried by Roman legionaries. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutum_%28shield%29 Sctu]</ref> | |||
==Session References== | ==Session References== | ||