A rich star field showing Messier 6, the Butterfly Cluster. At the center, dozens of brilliant blue stars form a loose, wing-like shape against a background of reddish hydrogen gas. Near the top right of the cluster, a cooler orange star stands out—this is BM Scorpii. The stars sparkle sharply, and the reddish nebula glows around the edges of the frame, adding color and contrast.

A butterfly, made of stars. 🦋
Messier 6 is an open cluster in Scorpius, glowing with 100 young stars and one bright orange giant—BM Scorpii.
This cosmic butterfly stretches 25 light-years across the Milky Way.

📷 Xinran Li / NASA APOD
#Messier6 #ButterflyCluster #Astrophotography

Stunning image of the M6 open star cluster, also known as NGC 6405, resembling a butterfly in the constellation Scorpius. This cluster, approximately 20 light-years across and 2,000 light-years away, is composed of young, blue stars, with a prominent orange star. The image shows the cluster contrasted against a backdrop of rich, reddish nebulae and countless stars.

Astronomy Picture from 03/09/2014

M6: The Butterfly Cluster

Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140903.html


#M6 #ButterflyCluster #OpenCluster #NGC6405 #Scorpius #Stars #Astronomy #AstroPhotography #DeepSky #Cosmology #Space #Universe