The "False Comet" Cluster

This sparkling group of associated stars in a rich section of the Milky Way presents the uncanny appearance to the naked eye of a small comet. It's a beautiful sight this time of year.

The Basics

• The “False Comet” is a group of two star clusters next to a string of brighter stars in the tail of the constellation Scorpius. The collection spans some 2 degrees of sky and looks like a small comet with a curved tail pointing northward into the Milky Way.

• Easily visible with the naked eye, the “False Comet” has been known since antiquity, although comet hunter Charles Messier was too far north to include it in his famous catalog.

• The star cluster NGC 6231 forms the “head” of the comet; the large open cluster Trumpler 24 forms the tail. While cataloged as separate clusters, these stars are physically associated and formed out of the same massive nebula only 6-8 million years ago. The collection is roughly 6,000 light years from Earth.

A Deeper Look....