RA 256.2889° · Dec -22.7080° · openngc
3 more points to reach Rare.
NGC 6287 is an uncommon cluster. It sits in the constellation Oph and shines at apparent magnitude 10.3.
A globular cluster: hundreds of thousands of stars packed into a ball a few dozen light-years across, orbiting far out in the galaxy's halo.
Look for NGC 6287 in the constellation Oph. At apparent magnitude 10.3, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, NGC 6287 is best seen from a dark site away from city lights, and when it is above the horizon depends on your latitude and the time of year. The visibility panel above works out tonight's viewing window for your saved location.
NGC 6287 scores 31 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 3 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Star cluster, Globular cluster and Coming towards us — each earned for a real, measurable property of the object. Rarity on Spacedle is never random: the more remarkable an object's astrophysics, the more badges it collects, the higher it scores, and the rarer it ranks.