Observer's guide
About Wild Duck Cluster
Wild Duck Cluster (M11) is catalogued as an open cluster in Scutum. Its J2000 position is RA 18:51:05.99, Dec -06:16:12.1, corresponding to 282.7658 degrees RA and -6.2719 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 6,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 8.9 by 8.9 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a very easy target at magnitude 6.3. It is associated with summer observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around June. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 31.7 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
A small telescope under reasonably dark skies is a good starting point; use the live altitude chart to choose its highest point.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is OpC. A published radial velocity value is 35.7 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 446 bibliographic references.
At roughly 8.9 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 8.9 by 8.9 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.