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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 above the horizon at an altitude of 38° toward the south, with an apparent magnitude of 6.00.
Twilight begins at 18:31 local time. At that moment, M16 will be 39° above the horizon toward the south.

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

M16 visibility on 2026-09-04

M16 Visible from sunset until early morning

M16 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M16 rise	13:17
Sunset	17:32	37°
Civil sunset	17:59	38°
Twilight start	18:31	39°
M16 transit	18:33	39°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:03	38°
Moonrise, 53.9% illuminated	21:15	26°
M16 set	23:49
Astronomical observing session ends	03:10	-40°
Moonset	13:03	-2°

Track M16 Position Throughout the Night

← 4 September 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	18:01
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	38°
Azimuth	170°

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	Sat, 5 September 2026
Twilight start	19:01
Twilight end	03:08
Twilight duration	8h 7m
Rise	13:13
Set	23:45
Elevation at transit	39°
Transit time	18:29
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	6.00
Constellation	Serpens2
Elevation	38.3°
Azimuth	170.1°

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