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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Hercules Globular Cluster (M13)

Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) Position and Visibility Tonight

M13

Where is M13 right now?

M13 is located in the constellation Hercules. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.
Twilight begins at 18:53 local time. At that moment, M13 will be 77° above the horizon toward the west.

M13 visibility on 2026-08-22

M13 Visible from sunset until early morning

M13 rise and set timetable

TimeElevation
Moonrise, 58.6% illuminated 13:5244°
M13 transit17:4789°
Sunset17:5089°
Civil sunset18:1984°
Twilight start18:5177°
Astronomical observing session begins19:2670°
Moonset22:5929°
M13 set02:03
Astronomical observing session ends02:55-6°
M13 rise09:27

Track M13 Position Throughout the Night

← 22 August 2026 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M13 changing position in the night sky.

M13 - Great Hercules Cluster

The Great Hercules Cluster (M13) is a globular cluster located in the constellation Hercules. It was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714 and included in Messier's catalog in 1764. M13 is one of the most prominent and well-known globular clusters in the northern hemisphere.

M13 spans about 145 light-years across and contains several hundred thousand stars. The cluster is approximately 22,200 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 5.8, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies and easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope.

M13 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M13 — blue-filter image
Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M13 — red-filter image
Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

M13 — near-infrared image
Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

M13 — composite color 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 M13

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Object nameM13
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M13 coordinates16.6949, 36.46131
Center coordinates16.6949, 36.46131

Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Hercules Globular Cluster (M13)

Time03:34
Latitude37.3541
Longitude-121.955
Elevation-10°
Azimuth333°
Here you can see the current position of M13 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.

Annual motion of Hercules Globular Cluster (M13)


M13 will remain visible until November 23, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky. Time
DateSat, 22 August 2026
Twilight start19:21
Twilight end02:49
Twilight duration7h 28m
Rise09:31
Set02:03
Elevation at transit89°
Transit time17:47
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 16h 41m 41s", Dec: 36° 27' 40s
Magnitude6
ConstellationHercules
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M13, 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 view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M13

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension16.6949°
Declination36.46131°
Magnitude5.80
ConstellationHercules
Elevation-9.8°
Azimuth332.9°

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.