Open Cluster M11 (NGC 6705), type 'g', in Scutum; "Wild Duck Cluster".

RA 18:51.1 (h:m); DEC -06:16 (deg:m); Distance 6000 light years
Visual Brightness 6.3 (mag); Apparent Dimension 14.0 (arc min)

This is "One of the richest and most compact of the galactic (open) clusters," to say it with Robert Burnham, Jr. M11 contains an estimated 2900 stars, about 500 of which are brighter than mag 14. An observer at the center of M11 would see several hundred first magnitude stars!

Source and more: SEDS

July 24, 2008 22:21 - 22:36 UT. Imaging: William Optics Zenithstar 80 ED II APO with Meade 3.3 Focal Reducer at f/3 [focal length 240 mm], ATK16IC camera, Astronomik LRGB filters. Exposures: L: 5x60s [1x1]; RGB: 5x30s [2x2], unguided.