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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Eagle Nebula (M16)

Eagle Nebula (M16) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M16 right now?

M16 is located in the constellation Serpens2. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M16’s position and path tonight

M16 visibility on 2026-10-04

M16 Visible from sunset until before midnight

M16 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M16 rise	11:19
Moonset	13:40	24°
M16 transit	16:35	39°
Sunset	16:46	39°
Civil sunset	17:13	38°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:43	36°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:14	34°
M16 set	21:51
Moonrise, 45.1% illuminated	22:25	-7°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:39	-64°

Track M16 position throughout the night

← 4 October 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

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 M16

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

Eagle Nebula (M16) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Eagle Nebula (M16)

Time	22:40
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-9°
Azimuth	260°

Here you can see the current position of M16 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 Eagle Nebula (M16) Visible Throughout the Year?

M16 will remain visible until October 29, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 5 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:12
Astronomical observing session ends	03:37
Astronomical observing duration	9h 25m
Rise	11:15
Set	21:47
Elevation at transit	39°
Transit time	16:31
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 18m 48s", Dec: -13° 48' 25s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Serpens2

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M16, 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 M16 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M16

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	18h 18m 48s
Declination	-13° 48′ 26″
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Serpens2
Elevation	-9.4°
Azimuth	259.8°

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