M 11 is one of the richest and most tightly-packed open clusters in the sky,
containing nearly 3000 stars. Making it even more dramatic, it is seen
against the countless stars of the summer Milky Way, as we see M 11, about
5000 light years away, in front of the rest of our own galaxy's disk.
M 11 is visible in the constellation Scutum. It is often called the
"Wild Duck Cluster", because some people say that through a telescope
it resembles a flock of flying ducks. While not everyone sees ducks in M 11,
nearly everyone agrees that it is a stunning sight in a telescope.

Image data:
Camera: SBIG ST-4000XCM
Exposure: 2 hours (5 minutes x 24)
Telescope: 10" Schmidt-Newtonian, Baader coma corrector