Messier 11, also known as the Wild Duck Cluster, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Georg Johann L. de Chéseaux in 1746 and later included in the Messier catalog by Charles Messier in 1764. The cluster contains around 2,900 stars and is approximately 6,000 light-years away from Earth. The Wild Duck Cluster is notable for its rich concentration of stars and its resemblance to a flock of wild ducks in flight. It spans about 30 light-years across and is estimated to be around 250 million years old, making it relatively young in astronomical terms.