M 73 NGC 6994

Capture

Seestar s50 78 stacks

Date

15 July 2026

Location

Camden, NSW

Original

1646 × 3136 px

M 73 NGC 6994 is an asterism formed by four physically unrelated stars located in the southern constellation Aquarius, and lies at an approximate distance of 2,500 light years from Earth. The stars of M73 are quite faint and not easy to observe in 10×50 binoculars. Larger binoculars will reveal a dim point of light, while a 4-inch telescope will show the Y shape clearly. The stars that form M73 have apparent magnitudes of 10.48, 11.32, 11.90 and 11.94. Recent studies indicate that M73 is not an open cluster, but merely an asterism, and that the four stars lie at different distances from Earth and are moving in different directions. Apparent magnitude 9.0.

See it in the star clusters gallery