Observer's guide
About NGC 6744
NGC 6744 (C101) is catalogued as a galaxy in Pavo. Its J2000 position is RA 19:09:46, Dec -63:51:27, corresponding to 287.4422 degrees RA and -63.8575 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 34,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 17.38 by 10.96 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 9.1. It is associated with summer observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around July. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 0 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is GiG. SIMBAD records the morphology as SAB(r)bc. A published radial velocity value is 838.3 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 304 bibliographic references.
At roughly 17.4 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 17.38 by 10.96 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.
