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RA: 17h 49m 25.5s
Dec: −34° 47′ 4″
Con: Scorpius
Ch: MSA:1437, U2:377, SA:22
Ref: SIMBAD, DAML02, Archinal&Hynes (2003)
Type: open cluster, 41p
Mag: B=?, V=?
Size: 12′
PA: ?
NGC 6444 is definitely OCl-1023 = Ru 132 as noted in ESO and by Brian Skiff. JH gives only an approximate position for the cluster, but calls it "A vfine L, rich sc cl of sts 12..13..m." The ESO position -- 40 seconds preceding and 2.5 arcmin north of JH's -- is good.
Discovered by Sir John Herschel at the Cape of Good Hope with an 18-inch f/13 speculum telescope. He recorded it as "a v fine L rich scattered cluster of stars 12..13..m."
The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a nonexistent object. Their coded description reads NOCL S.
10x50 tripod-mounted. 1997-07-06. Nothing visible [Rui Henriques]
Lacaille's catalogue
The Messier objects
Dunlop's catalogue
The Bennett objects
The Caldwell list
Named DSOs
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