NGC 6744 is the brightest galaxy in the constellation Pavo. It is found about 5 degrees south of NGC 6752. It is 9th magnitude, and approximately 15.5 arc minutes across.
This beautiful spiral galaxy is about 25 million light years away. NGC 6744 is believed to one of the most Milky Way-like of all the nearby spirals, with fluffy (flocculent) spiral arms and a large and distinctly elongated nucleus.
NGC 6744 also has at least one distorted companion galaxy, superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds. The northernmost spiral arm of NGC 6744 is most likely being stretched due to tidal pull from the dwarf companion. The companion will ultimately merge with NGC 6744 in the distant future.
A 16th magnitude supernova (SN 2005at) occurred in this galaxy in 2005.