The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the brightest clusters available in the summer night sky. It is an open cluster which means it is a group of stars born from the same nebula within our Milky Way Galaxy that is now spreading apart. Long ago, the nearby stars of the Big Dipper formed in this way as an open cluster.
It can be a bit tricky to find the Wild Duck Cluster at first but, once learned, it becomes an easy target. You'll need a dark site, one without a bright moon. Start with Altair in the Summer Triangle. Use it to find the circle of stars that we call the string of pearls that appears to have a gap in the bottom part. Below that gap is the beautiful cluster. To the right is a bright section of the Milky Way's arm.
Although binoculars can be used to view the Wild Duck, we recommend a telescope. And, the bigger the telescope, the more beautiful the cluster will appear. We recommend at least 6 inches for the best views.
You might be wondering why it is called the Wild Duck Cluster. Many of us have. The person who named it long ago, somehow, saw it as a wild duck. Do you see it? We're still looking...
Viewing Wild Duck Cluster/M11
Level
Moderate
Rating
Best Viewing
June through November
Find
From a dark site without a bright moon, find Altair in Aquila and look south (down) and west (right) to find the 'string of pearls' on the edge of constellations Aquila and Scutum. In the gap in the lower-right portion of the string, point your binoculars or telescope using low power. Look for a glowing orb. See the map above and the links below for more help.
While it is possible to see the Wild Duck in binculars, it will appear only as a glowing orb. It is much better in a telescope. Once you find it using low power, center the target and then use higher power. With a 6" telescope and larger, it can be stunning.
