Astronomy Picture of the Day · January 6, 1999

M6: The Butterfly Cluster

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 6, 1999 is “M6: The Butterfly Cluster,” an image. It is credited to Credit: AURA, NOAO, NSF. The original explanation runs about 108 words.

From the explanation

“To some, the outline of the open cluster of stars M6 resembles a butterfly. M6 , also known as NGC 6405, spans about 20 light-years and lies about 2,000 light years distant.”

— APOD editors, January 6, 1999

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: January 6, 1999
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: AURA, NOAO, NSF
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 108 words

All of January 1999 → · 1999 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Star clusters

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 6 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, January 6, 1999 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1999-january-06-m6-the-butterfly-cluster

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.