Map of the Universe
NGC 6791
Open star cluster · Open cluster in the constellation Lyra
About NGC 6791
NGC 6791 is about 13,664 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 13,664 years ago.
It is 25,838 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way.
The map lists it as an open star cluster and shows it among the stars around the Sun, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.
An unusually old (8 billion years) and metal-rich open cluster.
Key numbers
| Distance | 13,664 light-years (4.19 kpc) |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Galactic centre | 25,838 light-years |
| Galactic coordinates | l = 69.96°, b = +10.91° |
| Member stars (Gaia) | 4,193 |
| Age | 3.80 billion years |
| Mass (observed) | 19,521 solar masses |
| Half-member radius | 13.4 light-years |
Data: Hunt & Reffert 2024.
Where it is
Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Orion–Cygnus Arm (Local Arm) › Milky Way › Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.
Zoom out to see it in context: Local Arm, a view about 12,000 light-years across.
From Wikipedia
NGC 6791 is an open star cluster in the Lyra constellation. It was discovered by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke in 1853. At roughly 8 billion years old, and with an iron to hydrogen abundance ratio that is more than twice that of the Sun, it is one of the oldest and most metal-rich clusters in the Milky Way.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia article NGC 6791, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearby on the map
- V404 Cygni Black hole
- Cygnus X-1 Black hole
- Hulse–Taylor pulsar Pulsar
- Solar circle Galactic structure
- SGR 1935+2154 Neutron star
- Cygnus X Nebula