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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M2

M2 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M2 right now?

M2 is located in the constellation Aquarius. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.
Twilight begins at 18:10 local time. At that moment, M2 will be 36° above the horizon toward the south-east.

Open the interactive guide to M2’s position and path tonight

M2 visibility on 2026-09-17

M2 Visible from sunset until early morning

M2 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 24% illuminated	10:43	-46°
M2 rise	15:00
Sunset	17:12	26°
Civil sunset	17:39	31°
Twilight start (−12°)	18:10	36°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:41	41°
Moonset	20:07	50°
M2 transit	20:56	52°
M2 set	02:53
Astronomical observing session ends	03:23	-6°

Track M2 position throughout the night

← 17 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M2 changing position in the night sky.

M2 - Globular Cluster

M2 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Aquarius. It was discovered by Jean-Dominique Maraldi in 1746 and later included in Messier's catalog in 1760. This cluster is one of the largest and oldest known globular clusters.

M2 spans about 175 light-years across and contains over 150,000 stars. The cluster is densely packed at its core, making it appear very bright. M2 is approximately 55,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.5, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M2 — 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 M2

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Object name	M2
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M2 coordinates	21.5575, -0.82331
Center coordinates	21.5575, -0.82331

M2 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M2

Time	09:24
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-53°
Azimuth	11°

Here you can see the current position of M2 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 M2 Visible Throughout the Year?

M2 will remain visible until January 5, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Thu, 17 September 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:37
Astronomical observing session ends	03:17
Astronomical observing duration	9h 40m
Rise	14:56
Set	02:49
Elevation at transit	52°
Transit time	20:52
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 21h 33m 27s", Dec: 00° 49' 23s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Aquarius

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M2, 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 M2 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M2

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	21h 33m 27s
Declination	00° 49′ 24″
Magnitude	6.25
Constellation	Aquarius
Elevation	-53°
Azimuth	10.9°

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.

Observation Settings