✨ NGC 6401
Object data
| Type | Globular cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Right ascension | 17h38m37.0s (264.6540°) |
| Declination | -23°54'32" (-23.9088°) |
| Magnitude | mag 10.71 |
| Apparent size | 4.5′ |
| Other designations | NGC 6401 |
A globular cluster in Ophiuchus.
Midnight transit date (best season to observe and image)
Location: Tokyo (change)
The date it transits around midnight (transit altitude about 30°)
This date has already passed this year. Next year (2027) it will be around Jun 12.
For about 2–3 weeks either side of this date, the object stays high from evening to dawn — its observing season.
Best time to observe tonight
Tonight (Oct 12 evening – Oct 13 dawn) · Location: Tokyo (full darkness = end of astronomical dusk to start of dawn, altitude ≥ 15°)
Moon tonight: Waxing crescent (age 1.1 days, 1% illuminated) — Little moonlight — a good time for faint objects
Hours of full darkness (end of astronomical dusk to start of dawn) when it is above 15° — the darkest sky, mostly clear of buildings and trees.
Sunset 17:10 → Dusk 18:35 → Dawn 4:20 → Sunrise 5:45