M26 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M26 right now?

M26 is located in the constellation Scutum. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M26’s position and path tonight

M26 tonight

M26 visibility on 2026-11-06

M26 Visible from sunset until before midnight

M26 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 18.4% illuminated	22:13	-56°
Moonset	10:25	39°
M26 transit	11:16	41°
Sunset	12:23	38°
Civil sunset	12:53	36°
Twilight start (−12°)	13:25	32°
Astronomical observing session begins	13:57	28°
M26 set	16:44
Astronomical observing session ends	00:34	-55°
M26 rise	05:45

Track M26 position throughout the night

← 6 November 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M26 changing position in the night sky.

M26 - Open Cluster

M26 is an open cluster located in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. The cluster contains a rich population of stars of various ages and types.

M26 spans about 22 light-years across and contains around 90 stars. The cluster is approximately 5,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.0, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M26 — 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.

M26 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M26

Time	20:47
Latitude	39.9612
Longitude	-82.9988
Elevation	-45°
Azimuth	303°

Here you can see the current position of M26 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 M26 Visible Throughout the Year?

M26 will remain visible until November 13, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Sat, 7 November 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	13:52
Astronomical observing session ends	00:29
Astronomical observing duration	11h 37m
Rise	05:45
Set	16:40
Elevation at transit	41°
Transit time	11:12
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 45m 18s", Dec: -9° 23' 00s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Scutum

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M26, 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 M26 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M26

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	18h 45m 19s
Declination	-9° 23′ 01″
Magnitude	8.87
Constellation	Scutum
Elevation	-45.2°
Azimuth	302.8°

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