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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M26

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.
Twilight begins at 18:56 local time. At that moment, M26 will be 41° above the horizon toward the south-east.

M26 visibility on 2026-08-19

M26 Visible from sunset until early morning

M26 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 29.9% illuminated	10:53	-43°
M26 rise	14:32
Sunset	17:54	34°
Civil sunset	18:23	38°
Twilight start	18:56	41°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:31	43°
M26 transit	20:02	43°
Moonset	20:56	42°
M26 set	01:32
Astronomical observing session ends	02:52	-16°

Track M26 Position Throughout the Night

← 19 August 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.

Finder Chart for M26

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Object name	M26
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M26 coordinates	18.75518, -9.38361
Center coordinates	18.75518, -9.38361

M26 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M26

Time	09:41
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-55°
Azimuth	44°

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.

Annual motion of M26

M26 will remain visible until November 16, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Wed, 19 August 2026
Twilight start	19:26
Twilight end	02:46
Twilight duration	7h 19m
Rise	14:28
Set	01:29
Elevation at transit	43°
Transit time	19:58
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 view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M26

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	18.75518°
Declination	-9.38361°
Magnitude	8.87
Constellation	Scutum
Elevation	-54.5°
Azimuth	44.1°

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