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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24)

Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M24 right now?

M24 is located in the constellation Sagittarius. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 29° toward the south-west, with an apparent magnitude of 4.50.
Twilight begins at 20:14 local time. At that moment, M24 will be 29° above the horizon toward the south-west.

Open the interactive guide to M24’s position and path tonight

M24 visibility on 2026-09-04

M24 Visible from sunset until early morning

M24 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M24 rise	13:31
Sunset	17:32	32°
Civil sunset	17:59	34°
Twilight start	18:31	34°
M24 transit	18:31	34°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:03	34°
Moonrise, 53.9% illuminated	21:15	22°
M24 set	23:31
Astronomical observing session ends	03:10	-43°
Moonset	13:03	-5°

Track M24 Position Throughout the Night

← 4 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M24 changing position in the night sky.

M24 - Sagittarius Star Cloud

The Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) is a dense region of the Milky Way galaxy located in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. The star cloud is an area rich in stars, clusters, and nebulae, providing a spectacular view in small telescopes or binoculars.

M24 spans about 600 light-years across and contains thousands of stars. The star cloud is approximately 10,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 4.6, making it visible to the naked eye.

M24 — 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 M24

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Object name	M24
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M24 coordinates	18.28226, -18.51456
Center coordinates	18.28226, -18.51456

Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24)

Time	20:14
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	29°
Azimuth	208°

Here you can see the current position of M24 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 Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) Visible Throughout the Year?

M24 will remain visible until October 14, 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	13:27
Set	23:27
Elevation at transit	34°
Transit time	18:27
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 16m 56s", Dec: -18° 30' 52s
Magnitude	5
Constellation	Sagittarius

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M24, 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 M24 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M24

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	18h 16m 56s
Declination	-18° 30′ 52″
Magnitude	4.50
Constellation	Sagittarius
Elevation	29°
Azimuth	208.3°

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