The Sky Today on Saturday, August 1: Open cluster NGC 6709
This article provides a guide for amateur astronomers to observe the open cluster NGC 6709 in the constellation Aquila. It also includes details on the visibility of Mercury and the current lunar phase.
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It serves as a practical resource for hobbyists interested in astronomy and celestial events.
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With the Moon rising later each night as it wanes, there’s a slightly longer dark window tonight for deep-sky observing. Let’s use it to track down NGC 6709, a lovely open cluster in the constellation Aquila the Eagle.
By 9:30 P.M. local daylight time, twilight should have faded significantly. Look high in the east to spot the Summer Triangle, bounded by the three bright stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair. The last star is the alpha star of Aquila, and lies to the lower right of the other two points in the triangle. From this star, near Aquila’s northern border, we need to move to the upper right, toward Aquila’s western border, where it meets Ophiuchus.
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