| IC 4665 is a large, coarse group of a few dozen stars covering more than 1 degree of sky. It is best viewed with binoculars or a rich field telescope with a large enough field of view to hold the whole cluster. The cluster is about 1100 light years away. |
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| Evening visibility: |
June-October |
| Best viewed with: |
telescope |
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Printable chart (pdf) |
View larger image |
Directions:
Start by finding the constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, a large oval shape that is west of Arcturus (part of the Spring Triangle), east of Altair (part of the Summer Triangle), and north of Antares. The oval is about 25 degrees from top to bottom, and its main stars are second and third magnitude, so they should be easy to see with the naked eye even with moderate light pollution.
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| At the top of Ophiuchus, find the bright star Rasalhague, then look about 8 degrees to the south for Cebalrai, magnitude 2.8. IC 4665 is just 1 degree to northeast of Cebalrai, and it should be easy to spot in binoculars or a finderscope. |
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| Star charts created with Cartes du Ciel |
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