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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M12

M12 Observation Details

M12

M12 Daily Motion

M12 will reach transit at 13:14. By the time twilight starts at 18:13 it will be at an elevation of 10° degrees and will set at 19:06, before twilight ends.
M12 will become visible in January, 10. After being too close to the Sun to observe, it will reappear in the night sky. Starting from January, 10, M12 can be seen again, providing a good opportunity for observation.

M12 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
M12 transit13:1448°
Sunset17:0922°
Civil sunset17:4016°
Astrosession begin18:1310°
M12 Set19:06
Astrosession end06:22-11°
M12 Rise07:17
Sunrise07:272°

Track M12 Position Throughout the Night

Elevation (degrees)
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

M12 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M12 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M12 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M12 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

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

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

Finder Chart for M12

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Object nameM12
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M12 coordinates16.78737, -1.94783
Center coordinates16.78737, -1.94783

M12 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M12

Time10:40
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M12 elevation35°
M12 Azimuth-130°
Here you can see the current position of the M12 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M12's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M12

Time
DateFri, 22 November 2024
Twighlight start18:42
Twighlight end05:44
Twighlight duration11h 2m
Rise07:17
Set19:02
Elevation at transit48°
Transit time13:10
Equatorial coordinateRA: 16h 47m 14s, Dec: -1° 56' 52"
Magnitude6
ConstellationOphiuchus
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M12, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M12 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.