RA 279.1008° · Dec -23.9034° · openngc
8 more points to reach Rare.
NGC 6656 is an uncommon cluster. It sits in the constellation Sgr and shines at apparent magnitude 6.17.
NGC 6656 is a uncommon cluster worth 25 points across 3 science badges. Explore its facts, badges and place on the sky map, then add it to your dex on Spacedle.
Look for NGC 6656 in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 6.17, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, NGC 6656 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 6656 scores 25 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 8 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Star cluster, Messier object and Bright deep-sky object — 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.