NGC 6208 is an open cluster in Ara
NGC 6208 (MWSC 2470) is an open cluster in the constellation Ara . It shines at magnitude 7.2 and spans 8.4′. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
Open cluster: a loose group of a few dozen to a few thousand young stars born together from one cloud of gas. They drift apart over a few hundred million years and lie in the disk of the Milky Way.
Finding NGC 6208 from ζ Ara
ζ Ara
NGC 6208
ARA
NGC 6208 lies 2.6° northwest of ζ Ara , the magnitude 3.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6208 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -84° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -74° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -71° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -86° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -69° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -76° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -64° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -46° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -11° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 66° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 76° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 36°N, and never sets south of 36°S.
The distance to NGC 6208 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
Objects within 6° of NGC 6208
13 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6253, open cluster, 1.8° NGC 6152, open cluster, 2.7° NGC 6115, open cluster, 4.2° NGC 6167, open cluster, 4.6° NGC 6193, open cluster, 5.1° NGC 6326, planetary nebula, 5.1° NGC 6215, late spiral galaxy, 5.3° NGC 6067, open cluster, 5.4°
NGC 6208 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Ara Designations NGC 6208, MWSC 2470 Type open cluster Right ascension (J2000) 16h 49.5m Declination (J2000) -53° 44′ Magnitude 7.2 (B 8.0) Apparent size 8.4′ Radial velocity -32 km/s Best with Small telescope Best month July Catalog page NGC 6001 to 6500
