The Butterfly Cluster (M6) is an open cluster near the tail of Scorpius whose brighter stars outline a butterfly with open wings, led by an orange giant.
At a glance
| type | open star cluster |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 1,470 light-years (452 pc) |
| its light left it | 1,470 years ago |
| size in the piece | about 13 light-years acrossmodel |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with. Model marks a property of the piece’s galaxy model rather than a measurement.
About Butterfly Cluster (M6)
Close to the Ptolemy Cluster (M7) on the sky, near the sting of Scorpius, the Butterfly is a naked-eye patch that binoculars resolve into a group of stars. Their arrangement suggests a butterfly with its wings spread, which gives the cluster its name.
Most of its stars are hot and blue-white, but its brightest member, BM Scorpii, is an orange giant, a star that has already left the main sequence. The cluster is young, and more distant than its bright neighbour.
What you see in the piece
From Earth the two Scorpius clusters sit side by side; fly out and they separate in depth, because they lie at different distances.
Questions
How far away is the Butterfly Cluster?
The Butterfly Cluster (M6) is about 1,470 light-years (452 pc) from the Sun.
Why is it called the Butterfly Cluster?
Its brighter stars form a pattern like a butterfly with spread wings.