RA 313.3663° · Dec -12.5371° · openngc
5 more points to reach Uncommon.
NGC 6981 is a common cluster. It sits in the constellation Aqr and shines at apparent magnitude 8.96.
NGC 6981 is a common cluster worth 19 points across 2 science badges. Explore its facts, badges and place on the sky map, then add it to your dex on Spacedle.
Look for NGC 6981 in the constellation Aqr. At apparent magnitude 8.96, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, NGC 6981 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 6981 scores 19 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 5 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 2 science badges — Star cluster and Messier 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.