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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M16

Eagle Nebula (M16) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Eagle Nebula right now?

Eagle Nebula (M16) is located in the constellation Serpens2. At the current time, it is below the horizon and not visible from your location.

M16 Visibility on March 08

M16 is visible in the early morning sky until sunrise

M16 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
Astrosession begin	17:34	-66°
Moon Rise, 80.3% illuminated	20:48	-39°
M16 rise	00:05
Astrosession end	03:02	29°
Civil sunrise	04:02	36°
Sunrise	04:30	37°
M16 transit	05:21	39°
Moon Set	06:48	35°

Track M16 Position Throughout the Night

← Sun, 8 March 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M16 changing position in the night sky.

M16 - Eagle Nebula

The Eagle Nebula (M16) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Serpens. It was discovered by Jean-Philippe de Chéseaux in 1745-46 and later included in Messier's catalog in 1764. M16 is best known for the Pillars of Creation, a region of active star formation made famous by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The nebula spans about 70 light-years across and is illuminated by a cluster of young, hot stars known as NGC 6611. The Eagle Nebula is approximately 7,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.0, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M16 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

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

DSS Red

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

M16 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

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 M16

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M16
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M16 coordinates	18.31338, -13.80722
Center coordinates	18.31338, -13.80722

M16 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M16

Time	11:36
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
M16 elevation	-11°
M16 Azimuth	99°

Here you can see the current position of the M16 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M16's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M16

M16 will be visible until October, 29, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

Date	Sun, 8 March 2026
Twighlight start	17:29
Twighlight end	02:57
Twighlight duration	9h 27m
Rise	00:05
Set	10:37
Elevation at transit	39°
Transit time	05:21
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 18m 48s", Dec: -13° 48' 25s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Serpens2

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M16, 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 M16 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.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of M16

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	18.31338°
Declination	-13.80722°
Magnitude	6.00
Constellation	Serpens2
Elevation	-10.7°
Azimuth	99.3°

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.

Observation Settings