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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M12

M12 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M12 right now?

M12 is located in the constellation Ophiuchus. Although M12 is currently 46° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.
Twilight begins at 18:28 local time. At that moment, M12 will be 45° above the horizon toward the south-west.

Open the interactive guide to M12’s position and path tonight

M12 visibility on 2026-09-06

M12 Visible from sunset until early morning

M12 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonset	14:58	42°
M12 transit	16:54	51°
Sunset	17:29	50°
Civil sunset	17:56	48°
Twilight start	18:28	45°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:00	41°
M12 set	22:47
Moonrise, 31.2% illuminated	23:22	-7°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:12	-48°
M12 rise	10:57

Track M12 Position Throughout the Night

← 6 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M12 changing position in the night sky.

M12 - Globular Cluster

M12 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. This cluster is less concentrated than other globular clusters in Messier's catalog.

M12 spans about 75 light-years across and contains tens of thousands of stars. The cluster is approximately 15,700 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.7, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M12 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

The images come from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under contract with NASA, using data from UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), European Southern Observatory (ESO), National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M12

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M12
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M12 coordinates	16.78737, -1.94783
Center coordinates	16.78737, -1.94783

M12 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M12

Time	15:25
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	46°
Azimuth	147°

Here you can see the current position of M12 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

When Is M12 Visible Throughout the Year?

M12 will remain visible until October 19, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 7 September 2026
Twilight start	18:58
Twilight end	03:11
Twilight duration	8h 13m
Rise	10:57
Set	22:43
Elevation at transit	51°
Transit time	16:50
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 16h 47m 14s", Dec: -1° 56' 52s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Ophiuchus

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M12, including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also see when M12 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M12

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	16h 47m 15s
Declination	-1° 56′ 52″
Magnitude	6.07
Constellation	Ophiuchus
Elevation	45.6°
Azimuth	147.3°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

Observation Settings