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RA: 16h 44m 6s
Dec: −47° 28′ 0″
Con: Ara
Ch: MSA:1481, U2:407, SA:22
Ref: SIMBAD, Collinder (1931), DAML02, Archinal&Hynes (2003)
Type: open cluster, 22m
Mag: B=7.74, V=7.4
Size: 14′
PA: ?
Discovered by Sir John Herschel at the Cape of Good Hope with an 18-inch f/13 speculum telescope. He recorded it as "a great space full of milky way stars, so thickly sown as to merit being called a cluster."
Bailey, examining a Bruce plate (Harvard Annals, Vol 72, No 2), describes it as "Milky Way, coarse cluster of few bright stars, diameter 10'."
FitzGerald, M. P.; Jackson, P.D. & Moffat, A.F.J. (1977) "NGC 6200, A Loose Young Open Cluster in the Sagittarius-I Arm Extension", Vol. 97, June, p129. [photograph inlcluded]
"NGC 6200 is a loose cluster of stars lying close to the open clusters NGC 6204 and Hogg 22. It barely stands out above the surrounding background. However, the presence of nine OB stars close to the position given for the lcuster makes it an interesting object to investigate, particularly for galactic structure studies . . . It is found to lie in the extension of the -I, or Sagittarius, arm . . . strengthening the suggestion that the arm bifurcates in this longitude range."
"Cat. of Open Cl. south of -45° Decl.", Mem. 17 Mnt Stromlo Obs.
The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a 8.0 mag open cluster.
1998-04-23/24, 11x80 tripod-mounted binoculars, Die Boord. Seeing good, transparency below average, dew. "Large (17' x 4') cluster of stars, magnitudes 9, 10 and fainter. The brighter stars form an elongated grouping that lies within a nebulous haze. Quite a contrast to compare this with nearby NGC 6204." [Query: precisely how many stars are seen? It is rrr or rr?]
Alldays (22.50S, 20.12E, 770m).
12-inch f/10 SCT (95x, 218x)
Very busy full field good spectrum magnitude of stars, will go back.
Pietersburg
16-inch f/10 SCT (127x, 290x)
This compact little grouping is small and in a E-W direction. Two 10Magnitude stars on the north and south of a few faint stars extending east and west. Hogg 20 is about 6' to the SE. Between the two custers is a lovely orange 9Magnitude star.
Lacaille's catalogue
The Messier objects
Dunlop's catalogue
The Bennett objects
The Caldwell list
Named DSOs
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